Into My Life
by TheNinthMaiden
Summary: Just how DO you go from being a warrior to a normal man? That's what Shuu's trying to figure out right now. It isn't easy though, but it looks like he just might find a kindred spirit to help him out.
1. Racing Lights

**Authors Notes:** Ok, so, while not my first fanfic, it's the first one in years. It's also the first I've published. So, yes, bear with me while I get into the swing of things...

1- This story is semi AU. You can imagine it takes place at some point after Kikoutei, semi-replacing Message. Not that I dislike Message, I just chose to write this way.

-enjoy.

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'I was alone, I took a ride, I didn't know what I would find there…'

The radio filtered in and out of the speakers of the beat up old jeep. It didn't matter how many times the dial was tuned, the face plate hit, or the speakers banged against by the irritated driver. Old was old… and useless was useless. Shuu Rei Faun could have empathized with the old electronic if he weren't so furious at it. _'Work damn you just work… and how long is this damn light anyway!'_ It seemed he just had no patience anymore, not that he'd ever had much to begin with. Wasn't he always quick to rush in? But all the little things were adding up tonight. Too long at work … too long at this red light… too much time trying to drag music out of a beast that refused to work. He was hoping that the music could distract him, keep him from thinking about how restless he was. His fingers began to strum upon the cracking faux leather of the steering wheel, as he sought at least some outlet for his current disease while trapped here at this light. He'd thought taking the long way home would help to break up the utter monotony that his life had become: _'Wake up, work at the restaurant, go home and watch TV… repeat.' _He grit his teeth and let the hot air of his breath filter through slowly. It wasn't helping him. Go home right away… drive around… do something else… it never helped. No matter what he seemed to try…no amount of bars or women or partying could fill that void… he couldn't replace his old life. He couldn't match that feel… nor could he really sum it up what he'd lost. It was all gone though… and it had to be. He'd accepted it… or he'd thought he had. Could a warrior's heart ever truly give that up?

The light _finally_ changed to green, a blessed sight, yet as his foot let off the brake his eye caught a flash of movement coming on way too fast. He slammed back down on the pedal as quick as his reflexes could allow, the car beside him screeching as it drifted forward more than he. Two cars raced by, flying through the red light at speeds that wouldn't be appropriate anywhere outside of a drag race or some sort of video game. Recklessly the pair sped right through the light, swerving and dodging their way through honking cars as they raced along the overcrowded city street. Shuu swore under his breath, his heart pumping way too fast as he climbed out of his car. Ignoring the driver of the car behind him, who was shouting at him to get the old jeep going again, he made a traffic hazard of himself. His hefty frame jogged into the intersection and his eyes locked upon one of the racing cars, following it as the taillights began to dim in the neon night air. Desperately he followed the escaping cars with his eyes, trying to guess at where they could possibly be going… where the finish line might lie. There was a dull sweat forming on the palms of his hands, but he ignored it, rushing back to his car. The old beast revved as he turned the corner, trying to follow the trail. His car was much bigger than the pair had been… but his was a jeep and not some quick car tricked out for street racing. But he had his instincts to guide him… and while he hadn't always been the most perceptive of the five… there was no way he would fail right now. His mouth was dry and his eyes sharp and an excitement that hinted he actually was still alive pushed him on. The closest he'd felt to an adrenaline rush ran through him as he sped his own way out towards the mountain highways, pushing his hunk of junk to its limits.

He had to see… he had to see if his eyes were fooling him again. Was it a face he'd known passing him by? He had to know if the past was always going to dance before his eyes like this… in flashes of folly. The roads out onto the mountains were far too dark and poorly lit to justify driving this fast, but Shuu knew the other two were no doubt going faster. If the police hadn't caught them, he could only hope that he'd slip through safely as well. He craned his wheel this way and that, pumping his breaks as he battled with the curves of the road, defying the laws of physics at each turn. _'I bet they're drifting. Damn, I won't catch em like this.'_ While familiar with the concept, there was no way Shuu felt that now was a good time to attempt it. _'When'd I get so soft, so scared?'_ His brows pulled in, looking for that old power inside him. Looking for the man who'd run headlong into any danger without a second thought. He failed to take a chance. _'Tsk… weak.'_ He barreled along the roads anyway. He might not be who he once was… but he damn well wasn't backing down on this. Right and left… gentle and sharp, the turns kept tearing him this way and that. Solitary street lamps blurred by in the darkness of the night, a disorienting vertigo toying at the edge of his senses as it seemed he lost all concept of time and space in his pursuit. He knew it was possible the drivers hadn't even gone this way… that he was chasing a dream, following a speck of light that hadn't actually shined for him today. He wasn't going to give up on it though. Maybe… just maybe… this was what he'd been wanting all along. To just leave. Break out of that cage of routine and head out into the unknown.

The roads seemed to become more dangerous as his car began to descend, his speeds picking up on the downhill, forcing him to ride the brakes more than he wanted to. The turns pulled his jeep even more dangerously to their waiting falls, as if invisible strings sought to tug him off the road. The trees that lined the rocky slopes loomed over the road, as if they were old horrors seeking to drag him down. Even so, there was a determined grin plastered on his face, his forehead wet with a fine sheen of sweat. _'No way no way… I battled demons and warlords… no road's going to pull me down so easily! No mountain is going to break the warrior of stone!'_ The thoughts caused a pang of guilt to slither through his gut, as part of his mind quickly shouted to him that the old life was dead. The Samurai Troopers… they didn't exist. He took in a sharp breath, and forced that voice away, desperately. No… not tonight… he wasn't going to listen to that voice tonight! To hell with it all… tonight he could pretend he was still that warrior, that the armor would still answer his call if he needed it. The orb was gone, but Shuu didn't care. He pushed the jeep on harder, turning up the static that served as his radio as he tried to force out reality for now.

The mountain road gave way to what seemed to be a stretch of country highway, but Shuu's eyes were immediately drawn to the small gas station at the left. Though the station was old and half its lights burnt out, the pit stop was a bright beacon in the night sky. It seemed decidedly retro, which was odd to him. You'd expect something that touristy out in the boondocks, not so close to the city. Still, modified street cars were packed in it and around it, some sitting off road as they clustered around the location. Shuu pulled off to the right of the road, still quite a bit away from the station, his heart pounding as he stared forward and saw the two cars from before parked there. They seemed to be in the center of the other cars, the non-racers having formed a sort of crescent around them. Many people stood around the cars, cheering… talking… laughing. He stared in fascination, gaping at this display of a subculture he'd never really given all that much thought on. Street racing… drifting… it made for an awesome movie, but it'd never been his thing. He'd always thought most thrills sort of cheap in comparison to true battle. But… but… maybe he wasn't the only one who'd been missing that old feeling.

'_Ok _Shuu_, time to go over there. Stop being a coward.' _His car pulled away from the side of the road as slowly as though he knew he was out of place, he drove over to the gas station. He pulled in by a pump, though he'd already noticed a few heads turn his way. This was their turf, right? This was their world right now. He wasn't welcome. He licked his lips and silenced his engine, hearing the noisy banter and laughter behind him, the overly loud music throbbing out of the speakers of one of the cars. He pulled out his keys and shoved them into his jeans pockets, nothing but a sauce stained white t-shirt covering his large broad chest. He was still a big guy… impressive to most. He worked out, not his body could compare to his fighting days. A hand ran through his hair, betraying his nervousness. It would only take a moment… just one turn and a look to confirm if he'd really see it. No… not it. If he'd seen him. _'Come on Kongo… have you really become just this?'_ His eyes flicked to his side mirror, but of course it wouldn't be that simple. He let out a huff of air then opened his door, his large frame stepping down from the jeep. He glared at the ground for a moment after he slammed his door Shuut, noting the change in the vibe of the energy there. He let the feel of the people there speak to him, feed him information on an instinctive level, pleased with how easy at least that seemed to come back to him. There was quite a mix… yet somehow at the heart of it all… he felt someone calm. Someone at ease and in control… yet someone who'd suddenly begun to mirror his own feelings. He raised his eyes to one of the drivers he'd chased here, finding the shock of blond all too easily in this sea of black and dyed bright colors. His eyes locked upon one other… a lone pale amethyst blue, and past and present swam for just an instant.

'_Seiji.'_ It really was him. No matter what, for that moment, Shuu just smiled. The relief on his face must have mirrored any of the times when he and the others had made it through a battle. He hadn't seen any of the others in years… years. The incident with the black armor… that'd been the last big battle for them. After that… damn it. He wasn't going to think of that memory; he wanted to think of the better ones. Fighting Arago hadn't been a 'good time'… no… but damn if it wasn't better than living stagnant like this. Arago had been a clear enemy… someone Shuu could hit with his true strength. He never said it… but compared to now he missed Arago. Dragging his mind away from that, for a minute he thought he was walking. He was getting closer to Seiji… but no one else. The obvious fact was he wasn't moving, but the former warrior of light was. The blond was walking over to him, with that calm look on his face that'd pissed Shuu off at times. Right now, hell, it was welcome. He took the opportunity to look his friend over, slightly baffled.

Now Seiji would never… never… look like some sort of street punk. Shuu knew deep inside that the other could never 'lower' himself that much. It just wouldn't be the same person anymore. But he wasn't wearing the often out of place formal clothes he normally did. There were no buttons on the black shirt that covered his chest. There was no smartly tailored blazer worn over it either. Jeans… actual denim jeans, were on his legs rather than a pair of slacks. Aside from shoes… that was it. Just a really simple outfit, casual, but on Seiji casual was like the plague. Or at least, on the Seiji Shuu remembered. It'd been a few years… was Shuu the only one who was having a hard time moving on then? The gap between them was closed to a couple of yards, and it dawned on the bigger man that he should speak. He didn't chase Seiji down just to take a peek and head off. He held out his hand, which prompted Seiji to tilt his head to the side. "Hey, been a while," the former warrior of stone offered. His voice had that old bravado to it, but he guessed that any of the guys would have seen through it in an instant. It didn't matter, he wasn't about to see one of them after all these years sounding like some emo kid… right? The blond offered a smirk and reached out, completing the hand shake. "Yeah… how've you been?" The blue-amethyst eyes were locked onto him… or at least that one was. Seemed 

Seiji was still covering one up. Did people still find his eyes too intense? Were they still that off putting to others? Shuu let his own gaze lock onto the other's, and his grin and boldness seemed to be a little more genuine. Yeah… even like this… Seiji's eyes were stronger than anyone else he knew. They didn't burn like Ryo's… but they would blind you if you looked too long. Or… something like that. That was probably as poetic as Shuu thought he could get on the whole matter. The two released hands, and for a moment it seemed like they'd just stand there and stare at each other. The cold night air whipped past them, breezing down through the mountains they'd just raced through. It was amazing how insulated the city was. Back in the day… back at the Yagyu manor… well… he'd been more used to nights like this. _'Ah damn… here I go again.'_ It was too easy to fall into the stagnant self pity that'd been growing inside him lately… he didn't want to do that with Seiji here! Hell, maybe… maybe they could hang out… talk about the old times. _'How in the world did I just manage to sound like both a teen and an old man there? Hang out? Old times? You're a mess _Shuu_.'_ But, inner monologue aside, being near Seiji was making him feel much better. Just what the doctor ordered… or something like that. The blonde seemed to scowl at him slightly. _'Oh… right… answer his question!'_

"Oh, ya know me. Keep me fed and I'm a happy guy. How about you? Damn… racing, huh? I never thought you of all people would be into something like this!" The words sort of spewed out of his mouth at a rapid pace, trying to make up for the prolonged pause. For just a moment, Seiji looked back over his shoulder to the other street racers. He looked at them as if surprised that Shuu should bring that up right now. Which, Shuu thought was weird. So was the look that crossed Seiji's face for a moment. He groaned inside. He still wasn't sharp enough to read someone like Seiji. But, the subtle things had never… ever… been his strong suit. When the blond turned his attention back, though, there was that grin on his face. Slightly aloof… and definitely as if Seiji knew more than Shuu did right now. But, Shuu also knew Seiji wouldn't make it a point to belittle him… it wasn't in his virtue… or rather his nature to do so. Right? He shifted and crossed his arms, and Seiji nodded his head towards the road. 'Let's take a walk', the nod seemed to say. Shuu wasn't about to come off so dense that he couldn't pick up on that. The pair began away from the station, only to have a few people calling after Seiji. Some seemed hostile, as if they thought Shuu was here to start some trouble. Others just seemed to really want Seiji to come back. Popular guy… apparently. But the former warrior of light seemed able to smooth it all over with a few words that promised he'd be back. It made Shuu smirk in a way. Seiji better pick me over them! Gravel crunched beneath their feet, pebbles and dust lining the sides of the old asphalt. It was getting more and more chilly, but Shuu was a big guy. He didn't need a coat. Seiji seemed fine too, though his face had lost a bit of the cheer from before. It seemed more… as if he were mulling something over. As if he were trying to figure out a way to stop…

"You know… I'd thought we'd agreed… that… it was for the best."

The words were abrupt, and while polite, they had a frostiness that put the wind to shame. Shuu almost cringed, no doubt most people would have, but something in his gut stopped him. Something kept him from backing down to this man. Weren't they… equals? And hell…

"You guys agreed… I got outnumbered." His voice countered Seiji's hotly, louder than it should have been as always. But, just as he hadn't been intimidated by Seiji, the blond never flinched either. They kept walking though. The sounds of the racers behind them was dropping off slowly. From the corner of his eye, Shuu could see Seiji shake his head, the other's jaw was set. His own teeth clenched in a stubborn anticipation. Were they going to 

get into it again? Rehash that day? _'I'm ready for it this time. They can't blind side me… they can't take me by surprise and overwhelm me.' _In fact… he was so ready for it… so ready to get into that argument again that his fists clenched up, his shoulders squared back. He heard a small sigh beside him, though, and a little of the fight ebbed out. Seiji still had that thoughtful look to his eyes… but… he didn't see any aggression to match what he was feeling.

"Perhaps we did do that unfairly to you. But…" Seiji stopped, and Shuu did also. The blonde's face was stern, resolute, unflinching. It was the look of a judge about to pass down the final verdict on the condemned. It was the look of a boss about to fire an employee who'd been caught breaking company policy. Absolute justice seemed to be carried in his eyes. "You agreed. You gave it up. It's over."

"No!!" The words jumped off his lips in an instant, years of pent up frustration and regret turning the end into a strangled groan of anguish. He would have punched something if Seiji weren't the only available target. He stared at the blond, so mad… so enraged… but at the same time he couldn't argue. Maybe he'd been duped, outnumbered, fooled into agreeing with them all that night. But it was exactly as Seiji said. At the end of that night, he'd agreed with them all. At the end of that night, he'd willingly given up the armor. He'd given it up, by choice. "But I can't stand this! I can't live like this. I won't." He felt like he hadn't had the chance back then to explain it. He hadn't been given his say in it. And now… see? This was exactly it. "I refuse to live like this… nothing can compare. I don't know how you all can do it… but I can't be normal. I can't… come down from it all."

He let out a long breath, shaking his head. He was an adult, right? There was no reason to throw such a tantrum. But… it did feel good to finally… finally… get that off his chest. To say it to one of the targets of his resentment. It was easy to sit here and try and blame them… but it fell on him too. He raked a hand through the hair that tickled the back of his neck. He couldn't apologize, pride and self righteousness wouldn't allow it, but he was at a loss. Where did he go now, what else did he say? His eyes challenged Seiji to answer him. The blond lowered his gaze for a moment, as if letting Shuu know he'd do the favor of obliging the request. The smaller man brought a hand up, to rub at his temples while he spoke.

"You need to find a way. It's impossible to go back, that's the simple… absolute… truth. No matter how much you might long to… Shuu… I'm sorry… but it _is_ over." The same sentiment as before… yet delivered a little more sweetly. The blow softened with a pillow made of sand. Shuu grit his teeth against the words, against the reality that'd been crushing him down. What could he do? How could he make the shift from warrior… defender of the world really… to just… a… man? Oddly enough, Seiji offered him a sympathetic smile. He dropped the hand from his temple, watching as Shuu digested his words. For a moment, Shuu had the feeling, however slight, that Seiji was on his side. It helped… but it was confusing too.

"Why…" When the former swordsman shook his head, Shuu got the point. Wrong question, try something else. He looked around for a moment, trying to get his head on straight. Should he say everything he'd wanted to then? But… Seiji was being pretty clear about one thing. No going back. You couldn't change the past, and the armors weren't part of the future. He kicked a rock. "You honestly don't miss it then? You're fine with this?" He gestured off towards the gathered cars. Seiji followed with his eyes, and again there was that strange expression. The blond seemed to get over it quickly enough, though he kept his eyes on the cars.

"I don't miss the fighting. I don't miss questioning my heart, my resolve, whether the power I had was rooted in good or evil. I don't miss having my heart uncertain like that."

Shuu stared at Seiji, and he felt… defeated. So… it seemed like he was the only one who couldn't handle it then. He was alone in missing it all. Even the hardships… he'd give anything to have that all back, too. He shoved his hands into his pocket and gave Seiji a nod. He was a man… he wasn't going to keep chasing an impossible dream. He'd have to try and face this all head on. He'd have to find some way to build this new life into something he could be satisfied with. He gave Seiji a slight smile. "Gotcha… yeah… you're right." He took in a deep breath. "Well hey, I should get out of here. I mean, we're never supposed to see each other again… yeah? Part of what we decided. So yeah man, sorry for intruding on this." He jerked his thumb at the cars. Seiji watched him, but it seemed to Shuu the other was going on autopilot somehow. The blond wasn't moving, didn't look relieved or upset. He seemed rather… stoic. _'He holding something in?'_ He kept talking, as if that would solve everything. He was bound to run across something that would break the tension if he kept it up, right? "I was just so shocked to see you doin' something like that. Breakin' the law, racing in the street…"

Shuu trailed off, his brows furrowing. Now that he thought about it… thought about it like that… it was weird to find Seiji with this crowd. He came from a well known and honorable family… and from everything Shuu had assumed… he'd follow that tradition. Were the rest of the Dates really alright with their heir getting involved in this? Well hell… Seiji was an adult… they all were. They could do what they wished. Seiji had always liked racing so… so… why this sort then? He turned, examining Seiji. The blond stared back at him, as if waiting for Shuu to do something. But… what? What was it he was supposed to do? To… figure out? He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it. What if he was only going to get one chance at this? What was the right thing to say right now? Seiji would probably make sure they never met again if he said the wrong thing… he got that feeling. He looked between the blond and the cars, sure the answer was obvious yet failing to connect the dots. It wouldn't be the first time he'd missed the obvious. Usually he had to be smacked over the head with it. Seiji arched his eyebrows, time was running out on this chance. The clock was ticking, and Shuu had to say something.

"Seiji… you don't know how to put it behind you either… do you…?" As soon as he said it… he had a feeling it was right. It had to be. This reckless behavior… it was what they were both missing. The danger… and the challenge. Being a part of something most people didn't know about. Shuu almost smacked his head, seeing how obvious it was. "You miss it too."

The blond watched him for a few calm moments more, before he smiled and nodded his head. That smirk seemed to touch his lips, and he crossed his arms over his chest. "As always, it takes you forever to figure things out."


	2. What a Bargain

**Authors Notes: **

Let's see... quite a bit of time sort of passes in this chapter, and I hope this doesn't upset the pacing too much. Seemed necessary to me.

Enjoy

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It took him a few minutes to recover from the shock, but once he did, Shuu began to laugh. Sure, it'd just been a joke at his expense, but he was so relieved that he couldn't contain himself. He couldn't even pretend to get mad that Seiji had called him dense again. He wasn't alone… Seiji wasn't moving on well either. Who knew what this meant! Maybe… maybe he could get it all back then. Maybe they could somehow undo the events of that night and reclaim their rightful place as the Samurai Troopers! Invigorated, Shuu felt like a kid again. He wanted to punch his fist in the air, shout out a 'hell yeah'… or something like that. As he laughed he watched Seiji, the streetlights casting odd shadows on his friend's face. The blond might not have been laughing along with him, but his lips were still smiling. _'Sure sure, try and stay composed when I just found out your secret!'_ He straightened up and stopped his laughing. He pointed a finger at Seiji, in a mock confrontational manner.

"Hey… I don't think you have any room for smirking man… how's it feel to be the same as me, huh?" Of course he couldn't one up the other. The blond brushed it off with a condescending shake of the head.

"The same? I'm afraid I don't see your point." Shuu's lips twisted at that feigned arrogance that laced Seiji's voice, but at least he knew better. Unlike when they'd first met, he knew Seiji didn't honestly think he was that superior to everyone else. Or if he did, he'd made Shuu think otherwise. Taking in a great big breath of air, Shuu continued to ride this wave of relief, this lasting feeling that things were about to get really really good again. This was why he liked to take things head on. All that time spent wondering hadn't done him a single bit of good in the end. He'd leave soul searching to other people. The direct route was his ticket. He took a few quick steps over and tossed an arm around Seiji in half a bear hug, half as though he was about to put the other in a headlock. Seiji played at struggling to get out of it, but Shuu didn't feel any real fight in there. "Hey, Shuu, you trying to start something?"

"Ha, I see you didn't forget you can't match my strength, huh?" Of course, Seiji probably had some tricks up his sleeve if he really wanted to try and get away. _'Not that I don't have my own to counter though.'_ They were both warriors, after all. _'A bit outta practice I'll admit.'_

"That's not what I mean… you want all them on you for assaulting me?"

Assaulting him? Shuu glanced over his shoulder to where the underground festivities were taking place yet. "Oh… right." Yeah, it probably wasn't best to start rough housing. Then again, they'd certainly walked far enough that the other racers probably couldn't really seem them all that well. They also were probably all in their own little world again. Just like he and Seiji were. Yeah… this was great, he had an ally again. He let Seiji go and took a step back, watching while the blond righted himself and sorted his hair out a bit. "Hey, we should get in touch with the rest of the guys, I bet they all feel the same way. You all should have listened to me… I knew it was a bad idea." He would have gone on with his train of thought… but the mood took a one hundred and eighty degree turn right there. Seiji lost his humor, and Shuu didn't know why. They'd just made a breakthrough! What... what just happened, where'd the joking go?

"Shuu… I just told you… it's over. We can't go back to what we had." Seiji's voice seemed a little tense, as if he was dreading repeating himself just a bit here. The blond was starting to act like he was walking on a tight rope, but Shuu was just confused. He missed the old days and couldn't get over them. He'd gotten Seiji to admit to the same thing just now, right? So why wasn't one plus one equaling two here?

"But... you also said you didn't know how to get over it! Damn Seiji, you're street racing to try and find the thrill again. Don't tell me you think this is…"

"I do. Don't misunderstand me. Maybe I haven't figured out where to go yet… how to put it in the past. But Shuu, that _doesn't_ mean I want to try and hide in the past!" His voice was sharp and commanding, and Shuu's stomach churned at the tone. He knew that it was probably automatic on Seiji's part to take a tone like that, but he didn't like taking orders much. However, the look in that one visible blue-amethyst eye… that's what seemed to bug Shuu the most. Even with his poor skills at deciphering people, he thought he knew that look well enough. It was either disappointment or indignation. Either way, he seemed to have pressed Seiji's buttons the wrong way and he still couldn't see why. He turned away so he didn't have to face that look, grinding his heel down into the gravel beneath him. Suddenly the chill in the air seemed to mean a lot more to him, and it pissed him off. How did it just flip like that? Why wasn't Seiji on the same page? They had an obvious issue… a common ground… so why didn't they team up and set things straight? It felt like he'd been led on here.

"So what the hell was I supposed to think just now? Huh?"

"Shuu… just drop it."

The former warrior of stone shook his head, unmovable as a mountain right now. He didn't get the problem here, so Seiji was going to explain it to him. Seiji was going to give him a damn good reason why reclaiming the armors somehow wasn't the right next step. "Give me an answer!"

The blond clicked his tongue, and Shuu could hear Seiji take a couple of steps, a few paces back and forth. It wasn't the same loss of composure Shuu was prone to for sure, but he felt better knowing he'd made Seiji upset enough to lose it a little. For once it was sort of nice to control the pace of things a bit. He thought he was in charge right now anyhow. The footsteps ceased pretty abruptly which meant Seiji was going to speak, and quite honestly Shuu would have preferred it if Seiji had just pulled back and hit him instead. Wars of words he'd always lose, but maybe if it came to blows he could knock some sense into the other man. But... Shuu _had_ just demanded an answer. Most didn't consider a punch much of an answer. "Look, Shuu… I don't know the 'right' answer, alright? I'm in the dark just like you, got it? But I made up my mind on that day; I didn't give it up lightly! I'm _not ever going back to bearing the armor._" The words were dealt out like a killing blow, a quick clean-cut right across the jugular. The finality in his voice tangled Shuu's tongue, stopped him from even knowing where to begin arguing back. He was supposed to be ready this time. All those words he'd thought night after night… the speeches he'd rehearsed in his mind so far after the fact… this was supposed to be his chance to use them!

"Then… why bother admitting you weren't over it? I know you... you could have lied to me. If this is all, then you _should_ have lied to me."

The blond sighed and Shuu chanced a glance over. Seiji still seemed irritated and on defensive, yet at the same time Seiji actually seemed a little hurt by his words. Shuu could see why as he'd just accused him of being someone who could lie to a friend, but all the same, he didn't see why the blond didn't just lie to him to make this all easier. Seiji seemed to want to end this all on decent terms, because soon enough that look of hurt was buried away. "Why do you think? I thought maybe… we could help each other deal with it." Shuu opened his mouth up to protest, of course the wrong thing to do. The blond followed up quickly, as if he'd read Shuu's mind and knew exactly what he was about to say. "And I don't mean by trying to get the armor back and go chasing demons! Get it through your head now or... we're done talking. There's nothing you can say or do to make me go back to it, so don't try. You've already insulted me once here... saying I should have just lied to you."

The two locked eyes, Shuu furious at the ultimatum and ignoring the end of Seiji's words for now. Things were black and white in Shuu's world anyway, but he didn't like having a door slammed in his face like this. He thought it was all real clear here… it wasn't his fault Seiji was being stubborn. Too stubborn to try and fix a mistake. "Yeah right," he muttered, and stalked past Seiji. He didn't bump his shoulder like he'd felt like doing, deciding to take the high road here. _'Damn Seiji… I finally understand because of you what I should be doing, and now you're too chicken to work with me.'_ Well… he didn't need Seiji's help… he'd go find one of the others. He was ­more certain now than ever that this was right. He needed to be the one to take charge and get the five all back together. It was so obvious. He'd just have to outnumber Seiji since it seemed he was pretty set on not doing this. It was going to be tough trying to find the others, considering Ryo, Touma, and Shin had all moved since that time… and no one had exchanged contact info. It was part of the deal. But, if he could fight against something like Arago, searching for some old friends should be no problem at all. He decided Ryo should be first... and not because he was counting on Ryo's weight as their old leader to support his argument. It was just... well... he remembered how much Shin had struggled with the fighting... so maybe the former water warrior would have a mindset like Seiji's.

The blond didn't follow him back to the gas station, but quite frankly he didn't care. He ignored the racers that started to walk over, shouting at him, trying to get in his face. Some of the girls rushed off to go check on Seiji, and while it wasn't as though everyone was suddenly mobbing him, enough guys were thinking of giving it a go to make him a little wary. With this much alcohol and adrenaline on the scene, a fight wouldn't be too hard to start. They were no match for him though. He shoved a couple of punks out of the way to prove his point and tore his keys out of his pocket, all but impaling the key slot on the side of the door. If any of these jerks tried to keep him from leaving by standing in front of the car… well… they were in for it. He wasn't going to run over them... but he'd nudge em with the car. Shuu wasn't a man to be intimidated! He slammed the Jeep door shut behind him, swearing when the force of it caused something inside to make a snapping sound. That was all he needed, a car repair bill to top off his night. He gunned the engine after he turned the key to signal everyone that they really did need to move or start preparing to be road kill. His eyes were intense as he silently forced everyone away from the car. The ride home was a frustrating one, the argument leaving a bad taste in his mouth.

-

The next morning however, Shuu woke up feeling better than he had in quite some time. It wasn't as though he'd been feeling sick or ill all this time, but he hadn't been feeling right. It wasn't just an emotional thing; it was effecting his body as well. Sure, he took a shower just as he did every morning, and then ate the same sort of breakfast. He pulled on the same sort of clothes he always wore to work, and went about his morning as if it was just any other day. But it wasn't. Even if he was going through his routine right now, the minute he got off of work he had something brand new to do. He'd never really fancied himself a detective, but he'd try to be one now. He'd watched as Nasuti and the others had deciphered the legend of the armors; drawn clues out of old gibberish (well, gibberish to him at the time). If they could do that, then he could certainly find a few people. He'd check out their old jobs, the phone books... even the Internet was sure to pop up some hits. He didn't think they were the 'blogging' sort... but well... a few years could change you. They'd changed Seiji. Shuu was still disappointed in the way things had ended last night, but he wasn't going to dwell on it for now. It was just a friend in need, really, and he wasn't going to let his friend down. Once he had the others with him they'd go sort the blond out. For now though, Shuu climbed in the old Jeep and set off for work. He had a feeling that it was going to be one of those unbearably long days. The sort you had as a student, knowing that right after the final bell rang you were going to be taken out for ice cream and presents. _'Oh well, I've waited this long, I can handle one day more.'_

He was quite obviously feeling optimistic about his chances tonight as he walked into the not so authentic Chinese restaurant, a bounce to his step that hadn't been there in ages it felt. It wasn't as though he normally slouched about at work; he kept up a pretty open front for most people. He was the guy who was always up for going out and doing something, the guy who'd laugh at most jokes no matter how stupid people thought they were. Even so, it seemed like people could feel his good mood radiating off of him. Some of the waiters called out to him, a friendly 'hey man' here, a 'sup Rei Faun' there. He waved and returned the greetings with vigor, heading back towards the kitchen and wash area. He needed to wash up and get ready, last thing he needed was to screw up somehow and get the head chef all over him. If he were stuck here late today he'd probably send one of the ovens through a wall! While the mental picture was hilarious, it was probably not something entirely appropriate for work.

He was scrubbing his hands when he heard familiar footsteps also enter the clean up station, and he turned to grin over his shoulder. Entering was Lin, the sous chef. She was a short woman, a few years younger than him but already at a higher position in the kitchen than he was. Granted, he hadn't really wanted to rise in the ranks, but it was still always impressive when you got to watch someone else do so. She was a hard worker, who truly seemed to love her job. He'd tried asking her out a ­couple times, actually, finding the petite yet just slightly chubby chef to be cute on top of that hardworking personality. But, she turned him down every single time with the same exact words. She seemed to see right through his grin, because her hands came down to her hips and her lips quirked into a smile. "Good morning Shuu, and, no. I don't date my coworkers."

He laughed and pretended to be heartbroken, sagging a bit in theatrics for her. She laughed and lightly clapped her hands at his performance so he gave her a mock bow before dropping the act. "Morning Lin. Hey, I do have something to ask you though." The thought had just popped into his mind, but it seemed a good course of actions. Girls were generally better at keeping up friends, or so he figured. Maybe she'd have some good tips to offer him. Networking wasn't something he'd ever tried to keep up on. When she didn't say anything but didn't turn away either, he took it as a sign to go for it. "I've decided to look up some old friends, ya know, try to get back in touch again. Just wondering if you had any ideas how to go about it."

Lin smiled at him and moved to the lockers at the far end of the room to store her purse. She still spoke loud enough while she did so that it was no problem to hear her. "So that's why you seem different today, huh? Well, are they old school friends? Sometimes the schools will keep your records for class reunions and such…"

"Ah… no."

"Oh, well then," she was tying her black hair back as she spoke. "Umm… phone book, internet… oh, what about mutual friends? That'd actually be the easiest way I think."

Shuu nodded, thinking it over. Mutual friends… well, that'd probably just be Nasuti and Jun. Shuu didn't think Ryo would have severed ties with those two, but the problem was… Shuu had. So they were just two more people he could add to his list of targets. Still, it was something to keep in mind. After all, if he couldn't track down the other guys, he could look up one of those two. They actually might be easier. He grinned at Lin. "Thanks a lot. I'll take you out to dinner as a thank you."

Lin rolled her eyes and laughed, slapping his shoulder as she walked past him and out to the kitchen. "No thanks, but good luck with your search! Nice to see you so cheerful." Shuu smiled back at her, happy to have the support for his search. Now, now he just needed to fight his way through the rest of today. As expected however, the day seemed to drag and drag…

-

"… ah, sorry to bother you. Right… goodbye…" He hung up the phone and let out a long sigh, scribbling out the very last phone number on his list. _'Ah come on! Two days and I don't manage to find even one of them? That's not right.'_ You'd almost think he would have accidentally found at least one of his old comrades, gotten lucky and found somebody! But, as he sat there scratching at his head, he had to admit defeat for yet another night. While he still had plenty of night left, the problem was that he didn't want to be accidentally calling people at all hours of the night. The guys, hell, he'd wake them up. But, it was probably best not to plague the entire local area with late night phone calls. He reached over and grabbed for his glass of water, but when he tipped it back he only got a couple drops. Empty.

"Well, just a setback… don't give up Shuu!" He stood up and shoved some of the junk he'd accumulated the past few days off to the side of the small one room apartment, reaching up to stretch and twist this way and that. What was the best thing to do to sort out frustration and a few sore muscles? A little bit of working out. He started up a few good stretching exercises, figuring he'd move over to the weight bench he had in the corner of the room in a minute. Physical activity always helped him think, it was his equivalent of pacing or tapping your finger on the desk really. While his blood was flowing he just functioned better, and he really needed to come up with something here. This path of dead end after dead end was going to start really bugging him soon enough, and he knew if he got frustrated he'd have to try and struggle through clouded thoughts. _'But… I don't know what else to do to find them. I could… I could try to put up an online ad I guess… see if any of em respond.'_ It was an option, but he didn't want ­to attract any sort of weirdos. Besides, waiting was never as good as acting so it was a last resort! If he could just get some leads he'd be fine. Something. How the hell had those guys all managed to stay under the radar like that? Everyone always used to talk about Touma going on to become some sort of scientific or medical genius! Why the hell didn't he? That would have made things easy! And Shin, despite expectations people had, didn't seem to be involved in any sort of aquariums nearby, or at any colleges as a marine biology teacher. He didn't even work at the pet shop down the street, Shuu had checked! For all he knew, the guys had all traveled to another country and changed their names for absurd and pointless reasons.

A frustrating situation, made worse by the simple fact that he knew where _one_ person was… and he wasn't helping. _'Well wait… did I ask if he knew how to find them? Damn, even if he doesn't want to help, he could still give their info if he knows it!'_ Shuu dropped from his stretching to do some push ups, each one he completed seeming to encourage him. Yeah… at this point, he needed to work over the leads he did have, pursue that path until he knew it was dry. Seiji could be a stubborn ass sometimes, but no one could be as unmovable as a mountain. If this was a test of wills, Shuu was going to have to come out on top. He had no choice here. Track Seiji down and force him to tell him anything he knew. Somehow, he couldn't really believe in Seiji knowing nothing. "I wonder if they race the same… nah, they'd take different routes. The cops would get them otherwise. So… I gotta find out their other finish lines then." His fatigue from all his failed attempts the past few days melted away as he focused only on this new plan for now, and he actually felt sort of stupid for not trying this first. But, maybe this had given Seiji a chance to think about this, given him time to realize how dumb he was being. Yeah… it would all be good. He'd bet his armor on it… if he still had it of course. His eyes flicked up to the clock on his wall, and he tried to remember what time he'd seen Seiji last. He'd kill some time working out until then, so he didn't go stir crazy. He wasted a couple hours that way, before taking a quick shower and heading for his Jeep. Would he be able to do it? Cross paths again?

The answer seemed to be a great big 'no' as he drove around and around the city. He'd kept his eyes open for anything suspicious, for any car that seemed like it was even remotely going too fast. He was really wishing he'd paid more attention to Seiji's car, rather than just the man. For all he knew the car could be parked somewhere and he'd drive right on by it. One fist pounded down on the crackling steering wheel, while the other pulled the knob on the old out of date radio. The static was just driving him into a frenzy; he needed to shut it off. He turned another corner, wading through the thinning traffic of the night, feeling his chances ticking away from him with each and every second that passed him by. Where was the flash of light he was searching for? Was he going to have to submit to that terrible terrible cliché that lightning never struck the same place twice? _'No!'_ He kept driving, and eventually he found his way right back out to those mountain roads again. Driving at this much slower speed, the roads didn't feel any safer. This time, in the darkness, he was reminded of a maze. The twists and turns in the darkness were disorienting and confusing, and while he knew he couldn't get lost if he stayed on the roads, he was painfully reminded of the strange disorientation of some of Rajura's illusions. He'd prevailed then though... he would now, too!

He rounded the final downward corner, and there in the distance was the gas station from just a few nights ago. Shuu's hopes dropped, crashed down like a boulder off of a cliff. The gas station was empty, only one care was there and it clearly belonged to the attendant. He sighed and swore under his breath, so frustrated right now. He needed someone to tell him where to go... how to get this done! He was failing on his own here! He crossed his arms over his chest and let out a long slow breath of frustration. He closed his eyes and tried to clear his head... tried to think. What could he possibly do here? He only had one lead, only one. The lead had been right here and now it was gone because he couldn't keep his head on straight when the chips were down. He always understood things far too late, getting them after the fact. He needed to find some way to predict the future. _'Haha, ok, don't be that dumb.'_ Surrounded by only the sounds of crickets in his Jeep, the lights of the station bathing him in their old fashioned glow, Shuu decided he had one thing he could try. It was pretty pathetic as far as plans went, he'd have to admit that. But... what did people always tell you to do when you were lost? To stay put, and wait for someone to find you. He'd do what he could to make himself stand out like an emergency beacon in the night... he'd only have to trust that it'd work out. Waiting was a last resort, so he guessed that must mean he was at the end of his rope. He wouldn't give up his other pursuits during the earlier hours of the night, but he decided that from tonight on... he'd come right out here. He'd wait here every night until he came back. He'd wait forever if it came to it, though he really hoped it wouldn't.

-

Three nights later, and Shuu was still coming to the old gas station late at night after work. His co-workers all seemed a little confused about his shift from really upbeat that one day, to coming in with faint bags under his eyes. His performance at work didn't suffer, though, and no one got food poisoning thanks to his negligence so they'd had no reason to send him home early at all. Lin had asked him if he wanted to take some vacation days, suggested it really, but Shuu had told her it was fine. He could guess that she'd pieced together his search wasn't going well, but he wasn't up for talking about it to her. To an outsider. A few sleepless nights were nothing to worry about anyhow, and he knew he could take it. He had at least brought some food with him to eat while he sat out here and stared at a whole lot of nothing, that first night having been painfully boring. He'd found the gas station attendant to be a rather dull man in his late fifties who probably hadn't been able to hear for twelve years or so. All conversation he'd tried to have with the geezer had been a total and complete waste of time. The man dozed off at his work through most of the night, and Shuu idly wondered if he even knew his station had hosted a tiny pack of street racers the other night. Probably not... he seemed completely in his own little world.

The former warrior of stone bit into a fast food burger that had turned cold already, not really savoring the taste as much as the convenience. He might be a chef for a living, but that didn't mean he was some sort of cooking fiend. He'd had a great reference for the job in his uncle, and he'd thought it'd just be something to do until he figured out what he really wanted. Yes, he loved to eat. No, he didn't want to cook for the rest of his life. Odd how those years could tick right on by you as you were in the process of figuring. The overly processed 'meat', cheese, and special sauce mixed in his mouth as he chewed, the bun giving off a strangely dry and fuzzy feeling. Everyone knew fast food was bad for you, but on some days, Shuu could imagine his body actually rotting thanks to the food. However... even if it was debatable that this was food, he'd been raised not to waste. He'd bought it; it was his penance that he'd eat the whole thing. Fuzzy bun and all. Hopefully his stomach was ready for a good fight.

He was just crumpling up the greasy paper wrapper when he saw it out of the corner of his eye, the telltale flash of headlights coming off the mountain pass. He turned his head to watch, but he could already see that there was only one pair of headlights. The car wasn't racing down, it was alone, and it didn't even look very impressive as it came closer. It certainly wasn't a racing car, that was for certain. So, he looked away, still perched on the back of his Jeep, wondering if he shouldn't start bringing some sort of music player for these trips out here. Maybe a PSP or something. But... buying things to pass the time sort of felt like admitting defeat, and that wasn't happening. He tossed the greasy paper ball back and forth in his hands a bit, not really paying any attention to the fact that the car had pulled into the station. You had to assume at least a couple people must actually stop by to get gas here. He didn't bother to turn his head when he heard the car door slam shut, or heard the footsteps moving along. Off to try and wake up the old station manager to activate a pump no doubt. The shadow that suddenly was cast over him sort of clued him in though. A bit too late of course.

A hand shot out and snatched the paper trash ball away, and he looked up into one rather irate looking blue-amethyst eye. He stared rather stupidly as Seiji frowned at him, his mind a few yards behind the current situation. "Seiji!" It seemed his mouth caught up at least.

"Shuu... what are you doing?"

"I'm just... I was, ya know..." His tongue was tied up by the sudden appearance of the one he'd been waiting for, and for a moment it seemed like this would be just another repeat of his inability to converse on his feet.

"Look... I heard you've been coming here the past few nights." The blonde's voice was crisp, almost accusing in tone. The paper ball he'd snatched away was crushed a little in Seiji's grip.

"You have?" Shuu arched an eyebrow in actual shock, and then looked over at the sleeping station attendant. Had he misjudged the guy? Was the old man actually on his side, one of those clever old people who played a key role behind the scenes? Seiji followed his gaze before tossing the trash ball at his forehead.

"Not him. Look, we scout things out before we plan where to meet, mix it up. It's hard to forget your Jeep, Shuu. Hard to forget you. The guys remembered... and they told me to come see you."

"Yeah...? Wow... that was cool of them." Amazing. Had they picked up on the situation? Had they noticed one of their own had gotten into a bit of a fight? Maybe Seiji had been acting differently. Perhaps he had allies in those street racers instead of the worthless old man. It was like the blond read his mind.

"Not really, we want to use this spot again, and they want you out of here."

"Oh... assholes." So much for giving Seiji's new 'crew' any sort of credit! He let out a snort and shook his head, but Seiji didn't really respond to that. He continued to stand where he was, one hand in the pocket of his pants, the other handing loosely at his side. Shuu scratched at the back of his neck and nodded. Ok, time to do this. Fight round two, no pulling punches. "Seiji, I'm trying to find the guys. If you have their contact information, I want you to give it to me. You don't have to back me up on this, just give me their numbers if you've got them. Let them all turn me down personally."

He didn't get an immediate 'no', which was a good thing, but he didn't think Seiji looked very eager to hand over what he wanted. The tiny game of cat and mouse was starting up. Shuu was going to make sure he got some cheese out of it. "... Why would I have their information?"

Shuu shook his head; he wasn't going to let Seiji derail him here. "I don't know, but if you have it I want it. Last time we met you were pissed I said you could lie to me. Well, then back it up. Tell me here and now if you have their information. Prove you won't lie."

Seiji arched that one visible eyebrow, then looked away. He didn't move his body, just turned his head slightly so that his hair created a barrier between the two. He was thinking about it, and Shuu wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. He almost got up so that he could get in Seiji's face; keep him from coming up with some tricky plan that'd ruin Shuu's own. But... he wasn't going to play that game. Tonight it was important to show that he could keep his head. He wanted to show that he wasn't just brute force all the time. He wasn't completely dense, and he could think things through like any other human being. He was going to have to soon enough if Seiji had the numbers. He wasn't used to being the one pitching ideas and plans, but there was always something new to get used to. He just had to take one step at a time.

"I have their numbers." The blond admitted it, and Shuu wasn't sure if he was pissed off or relieved to hear it. _'Then you should have told me that the other night.' _He clenched his fists by his sides for a moment, keeping in any outbursts, before he stood up. Seiji didn't look his way, but that didn't matter.

"Give them to me. At least give me Ryo or Shin's if you won't give them all." He reached out and put a hand on Seiji's shoulder, causing the blond to turn his head back to face Shuu. His expression was oddly reserved, a calculating look to his eyes he'd seen often before they went into battle. Just what did he have up his sleeves this time? "Give them to me Seiji." He repeated his request, his tone firm and unyielding. He wasn't leaving tonight empty handed. A sly smile hit Seiji's lips, and Shuu's instincts screamed trouble was coming.

"I will... on one condition."

"Damn Seiji, I'm not joking here!"

"Neither am I." The two stared each other down for not the first time in recent days, an invisible test of wills going on between them. They both knew Seiji had the advantage here in more ways than one, but Shuu's tenacity couldn't be argued. Besides, Shuu's current actions had inconvenienced Seiji's new life a bit, so he figured he at least had some leverage going for him. "One condition," the blond repeated.

Shuu grit his teeth and nodded. He could at least hear Seiji out. The smirk fell from Seiji's lips, the other man growing very serious. He was certain to keep his eyes glued to Shuu's. "What is it?" As if Shuu really wanted to know.

"I'll give you all of their numbers... and I'll even go with you while you try to change their minds... _if_ you give me three months to change _your_ mind."

"What? No! No Seiji, don't you get it? It's been years and I haven't gotten past it all. Three months isn't going to change a thing!"

"You wouldn't be alone for three months... it's a different situation..."

"No!" He shook his head firmly, crossing his arms. "Absolutely not! Three months isn't going to change my mind!"

"... but what about mine?"

Shuu blinked at the comment, confused for a moment. It'd been delivered so casually, almost as if it were nothing important. Was Seiji... giving him the chance to... change his mind here? What was this, a trial run? A practice test? If he couldn't win over one, he wasn't going to get a chance with any of the other guys? He wanted to just refuse again, but something in his gut actually told him to wait for once. Could he endure three more months, if it meant that he was guaranteed the numbers of the rest of the guys? If he refused this, he knew it was entirely possible that Seiji would ensure that Shuu never found him again. So... three months. He could last that out, right? He was getting the better end of this bargain. "So... for three months... you and me... a test of wills, huh? Three months to see who was right, and who's wrong?"

"In a way. I call the shots, though. I want to prove that we don't need the armors. I want to prove that we can move on." He paused and shook his head. "I do concede that maybe... it was a bad idea to sever contact, however. That's part of what I want to see here. Are you willing?"

Shuu didn't move for a moment, and then held out his hand. Seiji stared at it then took it in his own, and the two men shook on it. The bargain had been struck, and now it wasn't Shuu who had work to do, it was Seiji. Somehow his old comrade needed to do in three months what neither of them had been able to do in years. Shuu had to admit, he felt a little bad for Seiji. It was a useless battle; one Shuu wasn't going to let him win. There was just no way he wasn't going to get those phone numbers, and his heart longed for the armor and the days of the past more than ever. They released hands and Seiji reached into his pocket, pulling out a cell phone. They exchanged numbers, and Shuu felt elated at his first victory in his quest to reclaim the good old days. One number. One down and just three more to go. It was the progress he'd been craving and just not getting. He watched as Seiji turned to leave, heading for a car that obviously hadn't been the one he'd raced in. Shuu understood it now, of course. You couldn't just drive your racing car around on errands, after all. The blond paused at his door and gave Shuu another mini glare.

"Now... stop coming here, ok? I'll call you."

"Fine fine." Shuu gave the other a smirk, and then climbed into his own car. Excited as he was, actually getting some sleep tonight sounded too good to pass up.


	3. A Room is a Room?

**Author's Notes:**

And the story continues. Shortest chapter so far it seems. I don't think I have anything to really mention about this chapter...

Oh, I do apologize for that little movie ref at the very end. No, I won't name the movie, but I couldn't help it.

* * *

Shuu was starting to feel like he'd been stood up. It was the sort of feeling you got after going out to a bar, and the girl wouldn't give you her number no matter how much you asked. Then, when you were drunk enough, you gave her yours instead and actually tried to pretend she'd call you back within a couple days. It was that slow sort of bitter sensation as reality slapped you in the face and said 'wake up moron, you've been had'. Obviously, this wasn't what you'd call a good feeling. Granted… he _did_ have Seiji's number, so it wasn't as if _he_ couldn't just break down and call the former swordsman. But… the point here was that Seiji was supposed to be making the effort to prove they didn't need the armors. So, Shuu was just going to stay stubborn about this. In three months, if Seiji didn't call in all that time, it just meant that Shuu won. Then _he'd_ call Seiji to collect on his prize, claim those phone numbers and get the ball rolling on reclaiming the good ol' days.

'_Still… this is sorta strange. This was Seiji's idea, and he's not the sort to back down from a challenge!'_ For a very brief moment Shuu's mind sort of took a paranoid detour, wondering if Seiji had asked for three months so he could clear out of there… get away from Shuu and totally leave the trail cold. This made him laugh as he relaxed on his easy chair, flipping the TV stations. "Nah… Seiji's not like that." That'd be pretty dishonorable and completely out of character. Shuu knew Seiji had changed, but he hadn't changed _that_ much. So Shuu would just wait it out. It was really grating on his nerves that Seiji hadn't contacted him in two days… but he wasn't going to cave in. Every time he though of calling Seiji instead, he just had to remind himself about winning. Winning was the only option… so he'd play this stupid game of phone sitting for now.

It was his day off from the restaurant, and he hadn't made any plans to do anything. A couple of the waiters had invited him to play football and snag some beers after, but he'd declined. He was feeling pretty stupid about it now. He enjoyed the sport, and it was fun to toss his size around again. But no… here he was waiting on Seiji to call. He was feeling oddly whipped, and it wasn't a sensation he enjoyed from even the girl's he'd dated… and he certainly wasn't dating Seiji! _'Damn… hold it together Shuu… he's just wearing you down. Get on with things like normal… just ignore it.'_ Maybe he'd call up the guys and see if he could hit up that game, or at least the beers, anyway. Yeah… get out some of this wasted energy.

Of course, that was when his phone started to ring. He jumped a bit and grabbed it, looking at the number that lit up on the display. There it was… the guy he'd been waiting on. It was about damn time. If he'd thought about it, he might have tried to spite the blond a bit by not answering right away. But, Shuu wasn't the sort of person to act all catty and coy like that. So he flipped the cell phone open and answered. "Hey man, I thought you'd chickened out. What took so long?" He heard the sound of Seiji clicking his tongue on the other end of the line.

"You do have a job, don't you? I, at least, have other obligations to take care of during the week."

Shuu shook his head, which of course was a pointless gesture over the phone but he did it anyway. "Of course I work. But you could have called or something." This seemed to get a small laugh from the other end of the line.

"Lonely?"

"No! Damn it… I just mean you could have called to say what you're planning!" _'Ok Shuu… turn this around.'_ "I mean, hey, I don't care if you fail, but ya know man, three months ain't a lotta time." There we go… power was back on his side now. Seiji needed to remember that. Well ok… maybe _he_ needed to remember that more than Seiji. Still, the blond didn't seem all too concerned when he spoke next which was a bit of a let down.

"It's more than enough time for me to change your mind. Were it the other way around, well, then _you'd_ be in trouble."

"Shut up. Hey, did you have a reason for calling or what? I got things to do with my time." Ok, so that was a lie, but it did occur to him that if Seiji knew he was sitting around waiting for a call, he'd start to look pretty foolish. Unfortunately, this just seemed to perk Seiji up.

"That's good, excellent. I'll let you go then."

"Hey wait a minute!" Ok, this was pissing him off. Now he was starting to just feel like a kid, getting praised by his parents for 'making friends' or joining a sports team. He wasn't going to be belittled like this. "If you don't do anything, then I'm gonna be getting those numbers, ya hear me? I'm not gonna lose."

There was a small moment of silence on the phone, and Shuu thought that maybe Seiji had hung up on him. But, when he pulled the phone from his ear he saw that the call timer was still going, so it meant that the line was still connected. He put it back to his ear and listened to a few more seconds of silence. "Well, I'll just have to catch you when you have free time. If you're busy you're busy, that's really all there is too it."

"So… if I just fill up my schedule every night, you're just gonna lose, huh?" Ha! Who knew victory would be so easy?

"So it seems." Wait a minute, why didn't Seiji sound even a little worried here? Shuu frowned, trying to work this out real fast. Why would Seiji almost seem happy about him going out every night? Filling up his schedule? He'd work that out in a bit, for now he had to make a move.

"Well, I don't know what's wrong with you, but I want a challenge, ok? So you called, you must be free today. I don't make bets with people and win by default!" _'Wait… maybe I should. No, that'd be cowardly, that's not the way a warrior wins.'_ True, he'd been pondering doing just that earlier. He'd been considering letting Seiji's inaction be his undoing. But now that he was getting all fired up over it, he realized he'd just be disgruntled for the entire three months. Right now he had to view Seiji like an enemy, and you didn't just sit around and wait for an enemy to die. You took a stand. His brows seemed to narrow as his resolve seemed to firm up. Just like Seiji had three months to sway him, he should also see this as a way to reinforce to the blond that seeking the armors out was the right thing to do. Maybe he'd get an early win. "So get over here and face me."

This actually got a full laugh out of Seiji, but it wasn't a mocking laugh. He wasn't belittling Shuu here or anything, and he could hear it in there. Seiji was going to do exactly what he wanted. They were finally going to get to this. The 'competition' was going to get under way at last.

"Well, give me your address, and I'll head over."

-

He heard the knock on the door and got up, not bothering to turn the television off yet. Shuu's face took on a determined look, and it was almost like he was expecting to have Seiji swing Kourin's blade at him the moment the door was opened. He didn't really have a clue what to expect, but that just added to the moment. You never knew what your enemy would toss out at you, and that was a part of what kept your blood pumping. Shuu looked down at what he was wearing, a beat up pair of jeans and grey t-shirt. It probably couldn't have gotten any more boring, but he didn't dress up unless he was trying to impress someone. He reached his hand out to the knob, giving it a turn and opening it up. Seiji stood out on the landing, one hand in the pocket of his own pair of jeans. Seiji looked a bit nicer than Shuu did though, wearing a short-sleeved button up that was a dark brown color.

"Hey man, come on in," he said, moving his larger frame out of the doorway so the other could get in. Seiji nodded and entered, stopping to take a look around at the room. _'What? It's not that messy? Don't tell me he's become a neat freak?'_ The blond sort of arched a brow, his face pretty neutral as he looked about the room. It was a little messy, yeah, but it wasn't that bad! It also wasn't as though Shuu had anything strange or exotic in the room that would attract attention either.

"How long have you been living here?" Seiji asked, rather cryptically if you asked Shuu. He looked around the room, attempting to figure out what had prompted the comment then shrugged.

"About a year, why?" Seiji continued to look over the room. Personally, Shuu didn't know what was taking him so long. It wasn't like he really had much stuff in there at all. He had his TV, his easy chair and a table. Other than that there were just a few out of place pieces of trash and such. It was pretty damn plain... so what the heck was he looking at?

"Seems empty," he responded casually, then shook his head. Whatever that was all about, the blond seemed to be over it now. He took a few more steps inside after removing his shoes, and Shuu played the good host and offered him something to drink. Seiji only wanted water, and considering Shuu didn't have a lot of furniture, they sat at the kitchen table to talk. Well, Shuu thought they were going to talk. Seiji seemed to keep inspecting things in his place each time they entered a new room. Honestly, it wasn't going to get any better. Shuu just wasn't the sort of guy to decorate or anything like that. He didn't even get a calendar. His home was plain, he didn't feel any urge to change that.

"So you got a point here Seiji, or did you really just come over to stare at my home?"

"Actually... that's partially why I came."

Shuu stared at the blond, expecting some sort of joke to be in there somewhere. Or, if not a joke, more of an explanation. Seiji, however, seemed to have a decided lack of interest in conversation at the moment. Instead he kept scrutinizing everything about Shuu's apartment, and that was starting to bug him a lot. He shifted where he sat, and for a moment he wanted to just stand in front of Seiji, get in his face. "Uh huh... why?" Fine, he'd bite and ask. Seiji looked at him for a moment and gave a slight shrug as if the question wasn't worth answering. Before Shuu's temper could flare up, however, Seiji did indeed speak up.

"It's a fairly common belief that a person's home is a reflection of their mental state. Of who they are, what they want. Of course this probably doesn't work as well if there are too many people living there but... you don't have a roommate, right?"

"Right, I don't... hey you don't believe that crap do you?" This got another small chuckle from Seiji. Shuu was going to start to get a complex here.

"I don't really know if I do. But... I thought it couldn't hurt to see how you're living... what you have around you."

Shuu sneered a little, crossing his arms and tilting his head to the side. "So what, next you wanna check out my work, interview all my friends, maybe ask me if I still talk to my mom?"

Seiji frowned at him and shook his head. "I have no intention of doing so if you're going to act like a child. This may all seem stupid to you Shuu, but it isn't as though this is something I have any real experience with, alright?" The blond looked rather cross with him, and Shuu did feel a little bad. He had to remember that _he_ had the advantage, not Seiji. But... he also had to remember, that in a battle you didn't give up the advantage. Seiji and he were opponents here, decently matched. So he had to keep his guard up at all times. Couldn't give Seiji an opening. "It's no wonder you find your life boring. I'd be going crazy too if this was how I lived."

"I never said I was going crazy! Life just can't compare..."

"I wonder why. Hmm... let me think, an empty boring bland apartment isn't exciting?"

"What the fuck should it be then, huh? What, some stupid posters on the wall? Or what... huh? What? I gotta turn my home into some damn circus?"

"... are you even taking this seriously Shuu?" Though Seiji had managed to keep his voice at a restrained and reasonable volume, he could hear the anger that attempted to seep up there. Shuu, however, was all set and ready for a shouting match. If it came to that.

"Yeah, but if you thought coming in here and insulting my stuff was going to be a good idea, then you're the one who needs to think better here!"

Amethyst-blue glared at him a moment, though eventually Seiji bowed his head. "I apologize, I did not come here with the intent to insult you."

"Fuck... what's with that formal talk? Whatever man, it's not a big deal, ok? It's just walls. Insult my home if ya gotta. Just... come on... is this it? Because Seiji listen to me. I am DEAD SET on getting the armors back. I am going to do whatever it takes to _not_ get over them now... just because I know getting them back is so close. If this... this... psycho mumbo jumbo is all you've got... then just give me the numbers. You're done."

Seiji stared at him for a while, that lone eye gazing out at him as if it could find some sort of imperfection in the stone. Shuu stared back boldly, even though somehow he was feeling guilty here. He had agreed to give Seiji a chance to sway him but... no. That was stupid. _'I'll never find anything else that compares to bearing Kongo. There is nothing else.'_ Maybe this was a trick. Seiji was trying for pity. No, Seiji wouldn't even stoop so low as to do that. Shuu was starting to think he was working so hard to stay a couple steps ahead of Seiji that he was going to start sweating from the effort! He was feeling tired here and he wasn't even doing anything, just getting looked at.

"Shuu... have I ever been someone deceitful? Relax man, you're going to give yourself a migraine if you keep that up."

"... what??"

Seiji sighed and leaned back a little, bringing his hands up to rub at both of his eyes. Shuu guessed that on some level, Seiji could see a small bit through the side that was normally covered with hair. Not that that was an entirely relevant observation to make at the moment, but sometimes your mind could jump onto tangents like that. But the blond had a smile on his face. Not a particularly happy or amused one, more one of quiet frustration. "Look, I know you're gonna fight me on this, ok? _I'm_ not stupid either Shuu. I made a deal with you that I'll admit I have no idea how to win. But... just do me a favor here... relax. I'm not here to play with your head, ok? You're going to start giving _me_ a headache with the way you're watching me here."

"... sorry man. It's just, ya know. I remember the last time, that night."

"Well, forget that night. You can't keep reliving it in your head. You can't stay stuck there anymore than you can stay in the past in the battle against Arago. Deal with me here and now. I'm not here to dupe you, trick you, or outwit you." Seiji's voice seemed to trail off, and for all his talk about remaining here in the present, Shuu could tell Seiji's mind was far from it. They'd been through a lot together... but there was something that Seiji had experienced alone. In a way... acting like Seiji was trying to trick and manipulate him... Shuu wondered if he was implying he and Shikaisen were similar. The blond knew first hand what it was like to have someone getting into your head like that. It all sort of started to make some more sense. Yeah... Seiji was going to analyze him... but Shuu realized that Seiji was the last person who'd want to play actual deceitful mind tricks on anyone.

"Hey... I wasn't..."

"I said forget it, really," the two locked eyes, and Shuu nodded his head.

"So, well then... what now? You aren't here to trick me, haha... and... I'm the most stubborn guy in the world. Come on, you admitted you don't know how to win..."

"Funny, then, that I'm still sure I will." Shuu stared at Seiji rather dumbfounded as the blond managed to smirk at him. Of all the things... how could Seiji be smirking and feeling so confident? Shuu didn't immediately say anything, though he sort of wanted to, and just eyeballed the other guy. He shifted on his chair, which was starting to feel sort of uncomfortable (it was a pretty cheap chair), and scratched at his chin.

"Ya know, they were pretty sure the Earth was flat, once, too." It wasn't much of a comeback, but he wasn't going to try and be all witty anymore. It just wasn't him. Seiji shook his head.

"Come on. Let's get outta your house. There's no good energy in here."

"Ha, you are into that crap." Seiji simply took his own cup to the sink and ignored him. Apparently Seiji's own hobbies weren't up for debate here. "Well fine, where are we going?"

"For a drive. Who knows, we'll see where the world takes us."

"That... I'm down with." Shuu left his cup on the table and headed over to his room to grab his wallet and cellphone. He shut off the TV set, looking about and wondering if he was forgetting anything. He didn't bother to grab a coat or anything like that, not really being the sort to over prepare for things. He did give a glance about the room. Bad energy? Yeah right. He felt plenty invigorated when he worked out in his room. The energy in here was just fine. He took a moment to pull his shoes on out at the entryway, Seiji outside already and waiting for him. For a moment Shuu thought he might see Seiji's racing car down there, but no luck. It was that same boring car he'd ignored the other night.

Shuu locked up behind him, and Seiji started to walk. Now that he thought about it, it would have been sort of fun to ride with Seiji in that car. Shuu took a moment to question him. "Hey, where's the other car, eh?"

"What? You think I'm made of money or something? I don't make enough to own this car _and_ take care of one I could actually race in." Seiji glanced at him sidelong as he walked, not to his car, but to Shuu's Jeep. Shuu gave him a look, but Seiji didn't change course. _'Funny, usually when people suggest going out for a drive, they're the ones who do the driving!'_ Seiji started to talk again, so Shuu didn't catch the chance to argue. "It's not actually my car. The guy, Takeshi, he just asks me to drive it for him. Guy knows how to build a car from the inside out, but he doesn't have the reflexes to drive."

The pair climbed into the car, and Shuu nodded. "Why'd he ask you?"

"It's a long story. I'll tell ya some other time."

"Fine fine," Shuu grumbled, then started up his engine. Seiji seemed to be rather shocked that the old vehicle could even start up, if the look on his face was any indication. When the radio started spewing static, Seiji shook his head.

"Amazing."

"Whatever, where to?"

"I dunno... maybe we should get you a plant... a Japanese Peace Lily perhaps..."

Shuu laughed and shook his head, putting the car in gear and pulling out. The thought of him owning a plant was pretty damn absurd. But at least Seiji hadn't brought up a bonsai. _'I wonder if he still trims those... and plays that shakuhachi...'_ Eh, he'd ask later. Seiji had closed his eyes, and it seemed like there was only one right thing to do right now. Drive... drive... drive. Fate or luck or whatever you wanted to call it had brought them together the other night through a drive. Somehow, it seemed like the road itself had its own opinion and the direction their lives would take. Shuu grinned. With any luck, they'd stay on the road less traveled.


	4. Sand and a Scuffle

**Author's Note:**

Ah man... I'm so sorry I haven't had a chance to update! A thousand apologies. This chapter isn't even that long, but I refuse to not update any longer. Next chapter will hopefully come faster than this one did... and be a bit longer.

Thanks so much for all the positive reviews everyone! They nudge me along and make me happy. )

* * *

The sound of waves, the golden red hues as the sun painted the water a fiery shade, and the promise of the coming night high up in the sky. It was as close to a mixture of all of their elements as Shuu thought he would ever be able to find. The sand beneath his feet moved and shifted with each wave that pushed against his legs, the coldness somehow pleasing to him. The sound of waves, no matter how gentle, it only would ever mean one thing to him. Remind him of one person. Not the person he was with right now of course. He looked over his shoulder at Seiji. The blond was seated on the sand, his legs crossed and hands resting peacefully in his lap. His eyes were closed; his entire form still except for the movement the salty sea breeze gave to his hair and clothes.

"Hey… didja ever go surfing with him?"

"Hmm?" It was as if Shuu'd just disturbed Seiji out of a light sleep.

"With Shin… ya ever go surfing with him?"

"Ah, once or twice I think..."

Shuu turned around a little more, grinning. Somehow he didn't get the feeling Seiji was the surfing sort of guy. He could probably do it just fine, but it probably wasn't anything he'd been in a hurry to do again and again. Of course... it wasn't as though surfing was his favorite pastime either. Shuu gave a small laugh, and then turned to stare back out at the ocean. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants and breathed in deeply. They said smell was the strongest memory trigger of all the senses. Then again, who needed memory triggers when they constantly thought of the past anyway?

"Hey, ya think he misses us? Anytime he sees the ocean? Anytime he goes for a swim?"

"You're asking me if I think water makes him think of us?"

"Yeah."

"… Do you think I miss you all anytime lightning flashes? Anyone turns on a light? Do _you_ think of us every time you see a rock?"

"I…" He brought up a hand to scratch at his cheek rather sheepishly, feeling a bit of stubble that must have surfaced throughout the day. His hesitation gave the blond a moment to interject though.

"Never mind." Seiji shook his head. Shuu figured he knew the answer he was about to give. That he was about to say 'yes'. Then again, he had to admit that even eating a burger made him think of the guys. He always thought about it. It was maddening in a way. He kicked at the soft wet sand under his feet for a minute. Why were they at a beach? Seiji had told him to just drive… and he had. Seiji had been silent, had kept those eyes closed the entire time, and Shuu had been free to take any turn he wanted. So he'd stopped thinking about where they were going, where the world was taking them. He'd turned down streets that weren't familiar, headed away from anything that seemed like a way back.

In the end, he'd found a nice stretch of road… and the more he'd driven on it, the more it felt like they were simply going 'away'. It was an intangible feeling, but a needed one. Yet somehow, Shuu doubted it would have felt right if he'd managed to drive out this way on his own. Something about having one of the guys, any of the guys, was all the difference in the world. Soon enough, this very beach had stretched out to his left, and he'd driven and driven until… well… he'd decided they were 'there'. Seiji hadn't said a word the entire way… and even when Shuu had pulled his shoes off and gone to stand in the water, Seiji had simply quietly followed him. Maybe the blond was just using this as a test… maybe this was some other way he was trying to see inside of Shuu's head. He didn't care if it was though. It was nice to get away. Besides… as luck had it he had a bit of a surprise for Seiji anyway.

The sun slipped further and further down and he figured it was about time to spring it on the blond. They hadn't spoken anymore through the sunset, each leaving the other alone. He knew that now that he was turning to head back to the Jeep, Seiji would come to attention again. He wet his lips with his tongue for a moment feeling equal parts excited and expectant. The blond started to get up, but paused when he saw the grin on Shuu's face. The warrior of stone was really going to enjoy this. Hopefully. He hadn't thought this through at all... but when did he ever?

"What is it?" Seiji asked, mild suspicion in his voice as he dusted sand off of his clothes.

"Nothing, you just look like you're goin' somewhere."

Seiji stared at him, arching a brow in a questioning manner. That response actually seemed to stump him a bit. Shuu crossed his arms and kept on grinning. He hadn't planned this, but this was gonna work out real well. Maybe. He was just sort of going along with things. Taking them as they came. But that was far better than routine. All he needed to do right now was _act_ like this was intentional. Seiji was actually giving him a semi wary look. This pleased Shuu.

"I am... we are. It's getting late..."

"What, you got a hot date? Or a race? Or ya such an old man you gotta get in bed early?" His tone was mocking. Lighthearted enough about it, but he had to give a few good jabs at Seiji's pride. The blond narrowed his eyes a little, watching.

"I have no intention of camping out at the beach if that's what you have in mind here. Let's go."

"No can do…" He replied as casually as he could, as if he was in charge. Wait, he _was_ in charge. Shuu thought he saw Seiji's jaw set, and his own stubborn streak started to set in. Time to drop the bomb. "We're outta gas… and I don't see a gas station around here, do you?"

It felt really good to see Seiji's eye widen like that. But hey, when wasn't it fun to surprise someone. Again, it wasn't exactly like Shuu had planned this out. Going for a random drive had been _Seiji's_ idea. But, considering the blond hadn't been watching… and Shuu had noticed his fuel tank getting low, he'd made the choice on impulse. What sort of warriors were they if they couldn't make their way back on their own two feet? They hadn't had a Jeep in Arago's turf, that was for sure! Well ok… they did hijack those ships a decent number of times, but that was beside the point. The point was, Seiji looked pretty shocked.

"Well, you'd better call and get a tow then."

"I don't know where we are."

"…" Ok, Seiji was starting to look a little annoyed. Still shocked, but Shuu definitely could see the annoyance in that eye. Not like Seiji would ever scare him. The blond shook his head, giving an annoyed click of his tongue as he turned away from Shuu and started to look about the area. For a moment, Shuu had the sinking feeling that Seiji actually knew where they were. But he couldn't, right? He hadn't been watching! A small twinge of panic hit him. He hadn't been staring at Seiji the entire drive... he'd had to watch the road so... maybe the blond had looked? That would ruin it all! That'd take away the fun of things. He was starting to get frustrated again, when Seiji's voice filtered back to him with the cold sea breeze. The voice sounded both detached and restrained, as if he was trying very much to keep something from Shuu's attention. He grit his teeth, annoyed as always that he couldn't read people better.

"So tell me, Shuu, what's your plan for us now? We _walk_ back the way we came? Forgive me if I fail to see the idea as exciting... or even reminiscent of the old days..."

Even with that even tone, the biting sarcasm that Shuu read into Seiji's words caused him to swear, kicking at the sand. He saw the blond turn his head to look at him, and it was amazing Shuu didn't just launch himself over and tackle the guy. But he supposed, he didn't have a good reason for it.

"I don't know! Yeah, maybe we walk somewhere! Hell, maybe we don't walk back; maybe we walk _away_, huh? Somewhere new? Leave everything behind us!" His eyes locked on Seiji, challenging him. They all but screamed that he'd have no problem having a small brawl with the blond if he continued with his snide and snarky comments. Seiji's own eye didn't seem all that impressed of course, even and cool and ready for the challenge. Maybe they did need a good physical fight. Shuu didn't like this warring of wills through words. He squared his shoulders at Seiji more, who centered his own stance. "You're so damn cryptic with me, even though you say you aren't here to play with my head! I call bullshit Seiji. You said you don't know what you're doing, well neither do I! So stop fucking critiquing it all!"

"Is this how you repay me? I'm trying to do you a favor here Shuu…"

"If you were trying to do me a favor you'd just hand over the numbers!"

"Why? Why Shuu, _why?_ Give me ONE reason why the hell you _need_ the armor. Tell me what you could possibly gain by just having that orb sitting in your pocket! Give me _one_." They both seemed to take a step towards each other, space still between them, but no doubt both of them had already sized up the other. They were both calculating what the other person might be able to do, unarmed as they were. No blows yet though… no violence yet.

"It's obvious! What if something happens, and we're needed? Huh? You remember how it was! We barely had time to figure anything out, we never would have won if we'd had to go looking for our armors in the first place!"

"Try again. You remember when Arago scattered us, it might not have been searching for the armors, but I'd say searching for _each other _was just as time consuming."

Shuu wanted to growl, maybe he had, but he tried to think again. "Well, what about when Shin threw away his armor? When we had to go chasing you and Ryo to _Africa_? Things could've been real bad!"

Seiji shook his head yet again. "We made it. What ifs are wastes of time here. We've already proven that we were never 'too late'. We always made it through… but think on it… why did we have to fight the black inferno anyway? Why was I targeted in New York? Because we _had_ the armors!"

"You can't keep hiding behind what Shikaisen did to you dammit! It's not fair! What can I say to that!" What could he say? Seiji had this damn counter argument that he couldn't touch! It was his own damn fault he'd been caught! He'd been stupid enough to get lured there… it was _his_ fault, not some fault with the armors! There was a twinge in his stomach at that thought, but Shuu swallowed it down. It was an answer he refused to accept. Now, then, or ever.

"You can't argue because it's true."

"You're not Shin!"

"I don't have to be to know the truth!"

The two glared at each other, the tension between them pulling like some sort of rope or chord. There was a fight between them that wanted out, that wanted to be let loose. It was the sort of violence Shuu hadn't been having in his life at all. Violence he'd surely been missing. But it wasn't as though he could simply go for bar brawls. No one would give him a real fight here. But Seiji could… Seiji could give him that outlet his muscles had been needing. He broke eye contact for just a moment, and then he felt his body moving, his muscles sorting it all out for him.

There was no grace in that first missed punch, no skill to recall the sort of warrior he'd once been. Just force and blind motion, and of course it'd missed his target. He'd heard Seiji swear just as clearly as he heard the sand beneath their feet start to get tossed around. The small grains that'd been plastered to his feet thanks to the water cracked and flaked off as he moved, swinging his momentum around for another strike. This time, this time his eyes seemed to catch up to this, time seemed to slow for him as he calculated the blonde's movements.

When Seiji managed to dodge the second punch, Shuu was ready for him. _'Don't think, your body knows what to do, move in, use his reluctance.'_ Sure enough, Seiji was simply evading, most of his body movement being used to get away from Shuu. But Kongo wasn't holding back, and he forced his body in, quick and solid, cutting straight into Seiji's escape route. The blond would get slammed if he didn't…

… throw him! Shuu coughed as he felt his breath knocked out of his lungs when his back hit the cushioning sand beneath him. He growled and got to his feet immediately, not about to let Seiji pin him down. But the blond had simply moved away, stuck on damn defense! He pounded the sand with his fist as he rose, as if he could will it into obeying him as it had in the past. Nothing doing though, and he charged at Seiji. What looked like it would be a blind tackle from anyone else never was with him, and his eyes recorded it all as Seiji's body began to move, to prepare for the attack. The blonde's hands moved forward, his weight shifted down as his feet spread slightly. While neither were experts in hand to hand, they'd certainly needed to be proficient all those times they hadn't armored up yet.

Shuu's steps were fast and quick, and what had seemed like a straight line to the untrained eye was anything but. Deliberately his feet followed a pattern, as if tracing the constellations in the skies, preventing Seiji from having an obvious direction to block against. Shuu may have seemed like he would punch, but instead his body turned and his foot shot out, a low scraping kick that would connect with Seiji's knee or shin if he didn't move. The blond was fast enough for that, but the larger man caught his chest with a flat palmed thrust, powered by the momentum of the missed kick. It was Seiji's turn to stumble back this time, hand to his chest as he tried to maintain footing as well as visual contact. The soft sand worked with and against him, but he kept his feet.

The sun had set, and Shuu's ability to see the blond was growing rather dim. He could hear his breathing, even over the crashing waves nearby. He squinted his eyes, his body wanting to press his advantage… but he held back. This wasn't turning out to be what he wanted either damn it all. If he kept pushing, while he might get to deck Seiji a few more times, it'd just be jabs in the dark. Jabs at an unwilling opponent. He let out a loud breath, looking to where he could sort of see Seiji.

"Sometimes… I think I hate you." A laugh wasn't what he'd been expecting… but then again, maybe he should have been. Didn't mean it was welcome though.

"I don't think you do. But… I think I know what you mean." This made Shuu raise his own eyebrows, not that Seiji probably could have seen the gesture with this low low light. The street lights barely reached over here near the water, and only the very rare car had passed them by. He saw the dark blur that was Seiji slump down onto the sand somewhat heavily, hearing a long sigh to go with it. For a moment, Shuu was actually a bit worried.

"Seiji? You ok man?"

"Ha, yeah, of course. But damn Shuu, I haven't taken a hit like that in quite some time, you know?" Shuu felt a little guilty at that… but oddly good all the same. He walked over, so that he could see Seiji a little better, and plopped down himself. He could feel his anger ebbing away, as if taken out with the tides. He let out a long unhappy sigh.

"Ya shouldn't have gotten hit then," was his reply, answered with a snort through the blonde's nose. There were only the stars to see right now, even the dark water was second to their sight. "Hey… so… you really don't call Touma or anything?"

Seiji actually punched him on the shoulder, shocking him. His anger sort of flashed for a moment, but there hadn't been anything behind the punch. "You have a one track mind. No, I don't sit and stare at the stars thinking about him, or whatever nonsense you have in that thick stone head of yours."

"Whatever man, go ahead an lie."

He could all but feel the annoyance radiate off of Seiji, but he knew it was mostly shallow. When the blond actually leaned back, so that he was laying on the sand, Shuu wondered what was up.

"So… tell me Shuu… what do you want to do right now. Not what do you wish would happen. Right now, tell me something that can be done. Something you want done. If it has anything to do with the armors, I warn you I won't be amused."

Shuu scratched at his head, tempted to try and piss Seiji off. He'd lost most of his steam, but maybe he could get that fight he wanted. But if not he'd just be in a bad spot, and he didn't really want that. So he thought about it, really tried to think of what he wanted right at this very moment. Not something intangible, but something they could do right here and now. For a couple of guys just sitting on a beach with an out of gas vehicle nearby, there wasn't all that much. They didn't even have any food. He turned to look at the road, and he gave a shrug.

"I dunno… I didn't think this out or nothin'. You… probably know where we are, don't you?"

"… so you figured that out."

"Yeah… guess that's part of why I got so mad… even if I didn't get it yet. How?"

"Well, I watched a bit and… you see how deserted this road is…"

"Damn… another of your 'tracks'?"

"Yeah."

Shuu sighed and shook his head, thinking. What… what did he want to do right now? He looked at Seiji. "Hey… you guys got a race going tonight?"

He saw Seiji flip his phone open, the light from the display illuminating his face. Shuu almost had to laugh, looking at Seiji like that. Hair splayed out on the sand, both eyes visible in the artificial light, and an expression that lacked most of Seiji's controlled manner. "Yeah, in an hour or so they'll start it up."

"So uh… how do you watch?" He could swear he heard Seiji enjoying this, and the fact that the blond snapped the phone shut only made him paranoid. Now he couldn't see his face. The sand stirred as the blond sat up.

"You don't watch it all… only the end matters anyway. Wanna see?"

"Uh… my Jeep? No gas? Remember?"

"Of course, we can't possibly do anything now." Seiji's sarcasm always seemed to find its way back. "I'll get a guy to tow it… I'll be back."

Sand particles hit Shuu as the blond got up and stalked away, the light of the phone returning like a tiny beacon of light guiding him somewhere else. Shuu stayed put, wondering what he'd think of it all. Racing… not really his thing. But, this was the 'drug' Seiji was using to keep from missing the past. A drug that wasn't working, but a drug all the same. Maybe it'd help him a bit while he waited for these three months to hurry up and pass by. It'd be something anyway. It'd be… his chance to see Seiji's life. To see that little bit of himself he was keeping away from most others. That'd be something at least.

Seiji returned, and offered out his hand. Shuu took it, letting the other help him up, even if it ended up seeming more comical than anything. "Got a hold of someone, they'll be round to get us. Someone'll tow your car later."

"The race isn't here?"

Seiji snorted. "How many coincidences you want to see in one night?" Shuu smirked. He had to admit, there had been quite a few already. He followed Seiji over to sit on the back of the Jeep. Had his radio been something that worked, he would have turned on the battery and let out some tunes. But... static wouldn't be all too great to listen to right now anyway. Maybe he really should get that fixed... or maybe get a new car. He hadn't seriously considered it honestly. _'But... even if I got the armor back, it's not like I could drive that to work. It doesn't have a radio built in either.'_ The thought of speakers installed into the helmet almost made him laugh, and he was pretty sure he could feel a slightly confused gaze from Seiji. He kept his mouth shut, and it wasn't until bright headlights and music so loud the bass throbbed through the night assaulted his senses did he begin to even feel excited at all.


	5. Gauntlet Down

**Author's Note:**

Soooo... yes, in an attempt to avoid a beating, here is the next chapter. A little bit longer than the last by way of apology, hopefully it is to everyone's liking.

Umm... hot tempers and some bad language peppered throughout. I'm attempting to keep it in check, please let me know if it's getting too much.

No promises that next chapter will be up quickly... I say this now to save myself.

* * *

Just as Seiji had said, they'd only watched the very end of the race. They'd missed the start of it which Seiji had seemed slightly down about, but not so much that he went on and on about it. Apparently you could watch both, provided that after the start you took the preplanned and direct paths to the finish line. As it was though, the guy who'd picked them up told them the race would be starting before they could get there, and their best bet was to head straight to the end. Shuu knew Seiji had introduced the guy, but he couldn't for the life of him remember the name right now. He supposed that wasn't a problem though, because standing at the edge of this small crowd, he couldn't even pick the guy out anywhere. Besides… you could go an amazingly long time in a conversation without ever needing to mention someone's name. Considering no one would probably ask him to introduce the guy to anyone (he was the only stranger here it seemed), the name held zero importance to him.

But the end of the race, that'd actually been somewhat exciting for some reason. He didn't know the drivers at all, and standing in the crowd ringed by cars, well, it'd really only been like watching a couple headlights drawing closer until two vehicles passed by. He had to guess it'd been the excitement of the people around him that he'd picked up on. The end of this race was right by an old parking garage, condemned and no doubt going to be demolished once the city decided what would be replacing it. Cars of every stripe and make (well, every make you'd expect for street racing that was) were packed in, and people were partying as if they didn't care at all that they were trespassing on private property. Maybe that was part of the deal… that the police could arrive at any minute… shut them down. The hint of danger, it paled in comparison to the sort of danger he'd lived through, but it sent a pleasant tingle through the former warrior all the same.

The pair had come speeding in, and as he'd watched by Seiji's side he'd noticed the blond shake his head and actually stomp his foot, even though a grin was plastered on his face. He'd turned to look at Shuu, but when they'd made eye contact Shuu had gotten the fleeting impression that Seiji hadn't looked for him specifically. As if he could have just been anyone else. When he'd spoken, it'd only seemed to reinforce that.

"Unbelievable! I thought Shunsuke had this one!"

Shuu had just sort of… grinned at him. He didn't know who Shunsuke was… other than the guy in the losing car. He didn't even know the name of the guy who'd won. He found he had absolutely nothing he could really say… and it didn't matter anyway. Seiji was already looking away from him, moving with the rest of the crowd as they surged forward to surround the now stationary racers. Shuu hung back for a bit, people bumping into his obviously large frame as if he were a rock in the middle of a flowing river. He was just a boring old obstacle to get around before reaching something much more interesting. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he watched it all… occasionally just watching the animated way that Seiji was talking to people… sometimes just trying to take it all in, get a handle on this whole scene. Cars seemed to be the heart and soul of it all, the people who drove them almost secondary to it all. Shuu had always though car racing was a bit… well… unimpressive. How many of the people here could have battled against mystic armor? Against warlords and a demon hell bent on conquest?

Technically, only one other.

That one other, however, was acting as if this was actually something impressive. He was in the group of people nearest the cars, and Shuu guessed it was because he was a racer as well. It occurred to him suddenly that he didn't even know if Seiji was even any good at racing. He… assumed it… but thinking back now… he hadn't seen the end of that last race. Maybe Seiji hadn't won it? But nah… that didn't make sense. There was no way Seiji wouldn't be the best damn racer here. No one here probably could compare! That must have been why the guy had asked him to drive his car. _'But wait, he would have had to see Seiji race to know he was good, right? So did Seiji have a car or… damn.' _Shuu had been riding a bit of a high earlier, but now it was getting shattered. He'd felt for a few like he and Seiji were part of this team, that they knew each other better than these guys knew him. But now he was reminded again that the chapters of Seiji's life post armor were pretty much blank for him. _'But, now you get to learn, right?'_

The music around him kicked up even higher now that the race was over, drowning out some of the chatter that really was all just gibberish to him anyway. He was pretty much familiar with his Jeep enough to change his own oil, a flat, ya know, the basics and such. But the way these people were talking, it was just about as good as a foreign language. It was making his head sort of ache if he bothered trying to keep up, so instead he took up someone's offer of a beer. That… now that he could hang with. Just listen to the music and have a drink, wait a bit til he had a chance to talk to Seiji again. He wasn't going to go attaching himself to the blonde's hip or anything like that. He knew how annoying it could be to have someone clinging to you, breaking the mood of everyone around you with their own. Right now he'd just play observer, though somehow it felt more like he was playing voyeur.

Seiji seemed totally at ease in this world, and he could swear he was seeing the guy smile and laugh more than he ever had back in the day. He could keep telling himself it was because it wasn't like the old times were made for laughs… but… just the way Seiji was acting. It was making him feel oddly envious, and part of his mind was shouting that it was all an act. That this laid back guy was just a sham… just part of Seiji's attempt to forget the past. Maybe it was… but Shuu couldn't be sure. He was starting to wonder a lot, about if maybe he hadn't gotten to see the real side of any of the guys. But no… that was the real you… right? The side of you that risked your life? The side of you that went to war? He took a long sip of beer and tried to just stop over thinking this. It wasn't his strong suit anyway. He'd just ask bluntly about it all later.

-

Shuu was standing around with a couple of guys, looking over a car, when Seiji finally seemed to make his way over to him. Again, the names of the two were lost on him. They'd just asked if he was a pal of Seiji's, and when he'd said yes, they'd given him another beer and asked if he wanted to see some of the cars. With little desire to stand in one spot all night, Shuu had agreed. They'd talked over specs, said things that Shuu had assumed he should be impressed with here and there. He sort of played the part, good enough at 'BSing' these things to get by. The cars were pretty sweet, he had to admit, even if some of them were smaller than he'd probably be comfortable driving. One of the guys had even joked along those lines, saying Shuu'd probably need a custom interior to get any good results. He'd laughed, agreed, and all sorts of other things that he could do on autopilot. He wasn't bored per se, but he still wasn't big on this scene. It was pretty obvious to him that while this was what Seiji was using as a replacement, it was _not_ something that he could use.

"I beat that car in a race… oh… three months or so ago?" That was Seiji's voice, his greeting after a few hours of whatever. Shuu watched him as the blond walked up to the car, running a hand over it and exchanging a few words with the guys there. _'Well, at least I know he's won at least one race.'_ Seiji looked at him, an almost knowing smirk on his lips. "It was pretty close though, I have to admit."

"All your races are close Seiji."

"Haha, yeah."

The guys laughed, and as Shuu didn't laugh, he felt even more excluded. He was sort of hoping Seiji had dropped by to snag him, so that they could bail on outta here. He looked around but he didn't see his Jeep here or anything. Where was it even going to be towed to anyway? To some random gas station? Was he going to have to get a ride from someone just to get to it?

"Hey Shuu, come over here, I want you to meet someone." Well, it wasn't going home, but at least Shuu was going to get a chance to hang with Seiji a bit. Watching Seiji's world from the outside wasn't giving him any insights whatsoever. It only dredged up the notion that he didn't know Seiji at all. He didn't like that idea, so he kept on watching, waiting to find a way to connect all this with the swordsman he knew.

They walked over to another area, where he saw the car that Seiji'd driven the other night. There were a few people there, girls and guys talking over the car, one guy in particular seeming to be the 'celebrity'. The guy had a sort of messy scattered look to him. Shaggy thick black hair that looked like the guy had just gotten out of bed, patchy stubble adding to that whole look. The guy wasn't dressed in any way that Shuu would really note, but hell, fashion wasn't something that mattered much to him. But when he saw Seiji he waved his hand, cracking a grin.

"Seiji, hey man, how's my driver?"

"Fine fine. Hey Takeshi, this is Shuu."

"The guy with the Jeep, right? Nice to meet you. What is that, a CJ-5? 7?" Takeshi took a step towards them, offering out a calloused hand that Shuu gripped to give a firm handshake. He could only shake his head and smile at the guy in response to his question. Hell if he actually knew.

"I bought it used man, no clue."

"Haha, not a car guy then huh?"

"Uh… nah. That mean I'm gonna get kicked out of here?"

The small crowd around them all laughed, and finally Shuu started to feel like he was connecting a little better. Of course, if he'd stepped back and thought about it, you would never feel like part of a party if you only skirted the edges of it. Takeshi gave him a clap on the shoulder and shook his head. "Don't worry about it. But hey, Seiji was just telling me you really… really… need a new radio."

Shuu couldn't help it, he started laughing. Pretty hard too. He cast a glance at Seiji while he laughed, but the blond simply looked away, earning a few little jokes from a couple of the girls nearby. He looked at Takeshi, starting to see why Seiji probably got along with the guy. He seemed an easy sort of person to like.

"Yeah… I get static… static… and oh yeah… static."

"You have some time in the next few days? I can pop one in for you. Be easier if I knew your Jeep make, but…"

"Ah, uh, sure… how much would it be?"

"Forget it. Favor for my driver, gotta keep him happy or he tears apart the car when he drives it."

"Oh yeah?" Shuu arched an eyebrow and looked at Seiji. The look the blond gave to Takeshi was almost comical. It was equal parts arrogant and guilty. It was as if he hadn't expected to have the mechanic spring this on him first.

"So he says," Seiji had replied.

This, of course, was very interesting to Shuu. Yeah… Seiji had lost his temper a few times back in the day, despite the 'calm and collected' reputation he sort of had amongst the guys. Everyone had those slips, Shuu more than anyone it seemed, but everyone was prone to letting their emotions get the best of them in a tight spot here and there. But for Seiji to have to be sort of pampered to drive well? That… was something he wanted to know more about. Maybe not with the blond standing right there, no doubt Seiji could spin it to make it seem like nothing. But, he wanted to get to know more. He couldn't imagine Seiji acting so… what… unprofessional about it?

"Oh… so this is the guy huh? Hey come look at a real car."

Shuu turned around to see what he could only describe as a cocky little punk walking up to him. The guy was typical… it was a scene straight from a movie. Dressed in a racing jumpsuit, two hot girls on either side of him, and a small crew of lackeys walking on up behind him. He had that sort of stalk to him meant to impress people, but it took way more than swagger to get Shuu to care. Shuu sized the guy up, noting how short the guy was, and how despite his bravado he seemed to be pretty intimidated by Shuu's size. He couldn't help but turn his body to face the guy dead on, crossing his arms and making himself seem like a massive brick wall. Ever posturing, the punk strolled to a stop a good two yards away from him.

"You got one?" Shuu drawled out, lazy and already starting to get the feeling that he'd just stepped into the middle of a little bit of a rivalry. Takeshi looked none too pleased about the situation, actually stepping up to Shuu's left. It was almost starting to feel like it was going to be a brawl. He half expected Seiji to come stand to his other side, but the blond wasn't moving. He was just where he'd been the moment before, and it really didn't look like he was inclined to duke it out. Maybe someone else could have thought Seiji was ready for a fight, but that was still one area Shuu knew that he knew Seiji best in. There was nothing radiating off the blond, nothing in his stance, that indicated any sort of actual aggression or readiness to have a go.

"Katsu, don't start this tonight," Takeshi grumbled out, but Shuu just shook his head. He had this. This punk wanted to come over here? Play king of the hill? Whatever. He'd go have a look. He knew that Takeshi's car had to be better.

"I wasn't talking to you Takeshi… come on man. It's over here."

Katsu jerked his thumb over his shoulder, and Shuu started to follow. Of course this wasn't all that easy with the little entourage that Katsu carried around with him, but Shuu didn't really have any desire to walk all too close to the shrimp anyway. He cast a glance over his shoulder to see that Seiji and Takeshi were talking. He couldn't hear them, but neither looked all too happy. But they started to follow as well, and so Shuu turned his gaze back to watching where he was going. There were cars all over, but to his untrained eye they all really looked the same. Racing car here… racing car there. The only thing that set any apart in his mind were the paint jobs and slightly different models here and there.

"Here… is my ride." Katsu strolled up to a car, painted a sort of radioactive blue color. Shuu watched the guy hold his hands out, as if it was that grand of a sight to see. Shuu looked it up and down, and then looked the guy dead in the eye. He shrugged.

"And?"

His statement seemed to cause a bit of a stir around him, though not quite in the way he'd first imagined it would. A slight crowd was forming around, and Shuu sort of wondered what was taking Seiji and Takeshi so long to catch up. He was fine though, he wasn't worried. Katsu, however, seemed to be not as shut down as he'd imagined he would be. The cocky little punk started pacing back and forth, covering his mouth and laughing to himself as if Shuu had just made a fool of himself. But he wasn't gonna get bluffed here. He kept his own mouth shut and stood tall.

"Ya wanna look under the hood before ya start acting like my car's nothing?" Shuu got the distinct impression the guy was enjoying himself here. "Nah wait… that would be worthless, huh? You don't know a thing about cars, do ya?" The way he said it was as if that was some sort of giant insult. Shuu couldn't really care less about knowing a lot about cars.

"Yeah, maybe I don't, so don't think you can start bullshitting me. I'm not impressed by your car. I bet Takeshi's is better."

That caused a small laugh from the crowd, and the one enjoying it most of all seemed to be Katsu. But before Shuu could say anything, Seiji seemed to have found his way over. He nudged Shuu's arm, as if he wanted him to shut up. He glanced at Seiji. What, did this mean this Katsu guy had a better car then?

"Oi, Seiji… what sort of crap you been telling your friend here, huh? Or you saying I don't have the best damn car here? Huh?" Shuu looked to Seiji, but the blond was playing it cool. Too cool actually… he wasn't saying a thing! _'Don't tell me Seiji doesn't stand up to this guy? He puts up with this loser?'_ Shuu wasn't going to, that's for sure. "What… don't tell me you've been lying to him too, huh? What, you been saying that _you_ have the best car, that _you're_ the unbeatable one here?"

"Oh… you're the top dog here huh?" Shuu couldn't seem to keep from running his mouth in response to this guy's words. Again Seiji nudged him, but unless the blond grew a bit more of a spine here, he was gonna ignore him! So this was the side he didn't show to others… his cowardly side? Well, Shuu wasn't going to stand around while some idiot insulted people and threw his weight around. "Well, I don't see why I should be impressed."

The crowd around him made a range of noises and whispers, and one of those whispers came from Seiji.

"Shuu… if you don't know what you're talking about, you need to shut up." It was a warning, but nope, not good enough. He took a step forward, and amazingly Katsu did the same thing.

"You don't see why you should be impressed?" Katsu sounded pretty amazed and cocky as ever. He acted as if Shuu had just said the dumbest thing ever. "Seiji, you need to get this guy caught up and inline before you come dragging him around again."

"Seiji doesn't have to do a thing," Shuu butted in. He kept his arms crossed, mostly so he didn't just deck this punk right now. "What's the big deal, huh? You're saying you're the best racer… but then you just boast about having the best car. Well… yeah, of course you're gonna beat everyone if you have the best car. That's what it's all about right? Whoever's car goes the fastest wins. It's not like a footrace where you actually matter."

"What? What the fuck are you talking about?"

Despite the fact that he was getting sort of the reaction he wanted from Katsu, Shuu was _not_ getting the reaction he'd expected from everyone else. Suddenly the crowd was in an uproar, cursing at him, calling him all kinds of things, and mostly insulting his intelligence. Some people were yelling at Seiji for bringing this idiot here. The gist of what Shuu could pull from what the people were saying… however… was oddly clear. Somehow… he'd just managed to insult everybody here. He glanced at Seiji, but the look in his eyes was worse than the insults of anyone else here. Seiji looked pissed… but he also looked… stunned? Betrayed? _'The hell? I was defending you!'_

"Damn damn damn… you're really stupid man. Seiji, you _really_ need to school your boy here…"

"How 'bout you just tell me how I'm wrong, huh?"

Shuu locked eyes with Katsu again. The punk grinned. "So you're saying that it doesn't take any skill to win a car race, huh? You're saying anyone with a driver's license can just up and win a race if you stick 'em in a good car, huh? You saying it don't take skill? You saying _you_ could beat me if I gave you a car better than mine? Huh?"

"…" Shuu didn't have an answer, and he felt his face growing hot. It was getting harder to not just deck this guy for being dumb. He was getting that feeling again that his words were getting all twisted about and taken the wrong way… and the worst part was that it was some jerk doing it. He couldn't even stand it when the other guys seemed to use his words against him. Now this idiot nobody thought he could talk to the warrior of stone like this? No way! "Yeah, I could." Well ok… maybe that wasn't such a good thing to say there. Katsu started to grin like a kid on Christmas. Shuu stood firm though.

"Is that a fact, huh? Seiji, your pal's got big ones, if ya know what I mean." The punk strolled and strutted like a puffed up rooster, obviously enjoying this now. "So… you gonna back it all up man? No one here has beaten me… no one. Not your pal Seiji over there… _no one_. But… according to you it's just cuz of the car, right? Didn't know you'd go insulting Takeshi like that. My car's the best… but I ain't never said Takeshi couldn't tune a ride."

"You got a point asshole?" Shuu was getting real sick of all this talk. He wanted some action, now. As it was he was fired up enough to take this guy on in a fight or a race or whatever. Right now. Just to shut his ugly mug up.

"Ha… yeah… I do. Let's prove it, that racing isn't skill… that it's just the car. You take me on. I won't drive my ride… but I'm not letting you ruin it either. How's this sound… you drive Takeshi's car… and I'll borrow one that's on the same level, huh? Hell, one that's inferior."

"He doesn't even know how to race." Shuu looked to the side. Finally… _finally_… Seiji was getting involved in the debate. _'Way to be on my side, huh?'_ The blond strolled forward, and his eyes had that clear hard edge to them that Shuu knew so well. "Most of our tracks would be way too much for him. This is nonsense Katsu, we all know the truth; he's not a part of this. Just drop it."

Shuu was stunned. Was Seiji just… dismissing him? Telling everyone here that he was wrong? Ok ok… he very well could be wrong here. But this was stabbing him in the back! You didn't do that to your pal in front of everyone like this. Sure Shuu had started to expect he'd get an earful from Seiji after, but hell he'd assumed he'd have his support here.

"Hey… hey… I'm not done here," he said swiftly, not about to get cut down as a nobody here like this. He stepped up real close to Katsu, glaring down at the guy and ignoring the backstabbing blond. "You wanna get beaten that's fine, I'll take ya up on your challenge."

"Oh? Not gonna take the out he gave you? I mean, he has a point. You'll probably just crash and ruin Takeshi's car."

"You wanna race or not?" Shuu wasn't a man of empty talk; he didn't say anything he didn't mean. He'd accepted that challenge, and there was no backing down on either side so far as he was concerned. If Katsu was any sort of a man at all, he'd know that.

"Oh always. But… I don't want to ruin things for Takeshi here… so here's the deal. You learn to drive from Seiji… and in… say… a month, we meet up and do this, huh?"

"No way!" Takeshi stepped forward, shaking his head. The shaggy haired man looked from Shuu to Katsu, and while it was clear there was no love in his eyes for either, Shuu also knew that at least Katsu was someone the mechanic knew how to deal with. He was safer than this stranger who didn't even know what model Jeep he had. "My car isn't a practice car, and you can't go around offering it up! I pick my driver, and I'm not letting this guy anywhere near it. I don't care who teaches him for how long."

The crowd got a bit louder, and Shuu grit his teeth. Seiji was against him, Takeshi was against him. Everything was against him here. _'Is that it then? Is this Seiji's way of saying I'm not a part of his new little niche?'_ Shuu shrugged his shoulders. "Fine, don't let me use your car Takeshi. Anyone here wanna chip in?" He turned about slowly, looking at everyone, challenging them all. Like hell he was just going to take this. He might have been willing to concede that he'd just said something insulting if everyone hadn't jumped against him like this. And it was… it was everyone. No one seemed to want to side with him, people's comments getting worse and worse. It was mob mentality at its finest, but through it all Shuu felt nothing but confident. _'I'm better than you all, I'm better than this crap.'_ He didn't bother looking to Seiji for support in this anymore. He'd stand alone. The lone warrior on the cliff.

"Looks like you better start walking," Katsu started, his voice oozing with victory. Shuu shot him a glance filled with enough malice to make even one of the masho pause for a moment. But unlike the warlords, Katsu didn't seem to have a brain. The punk thought he could hide behind his numbers. Shuu didn't budge, didn't move even an inch. He simply leveled that stare at the punk, watched as the guy began to sweat beneath all that bravado he tossed up. The crowd seemed to get agitated too, wondering why this reject hadn't started to make his way out of here like ordered. If nothing else, Shuu was going to teach this little pack here a thing or two about strength. About whom you should follow and look up to. '_If Ryo had been anything like Katsu here… the world would have been doomed.'_ So he stood his ground, even when someone tossed a beer bottle in his direction. It didn't hit him… he guessed the face in the crowd didn't even have the guts for that.

"Go home," Katsu said again, but there was a lot less confidence in that tone this time. Shuu couldn't help but grin a little, watching the effects of his little bit of defiance. There was no way… absolutely no way that these people could move him. Well, no way short of probably driving one of their cars at him. He wasn't exactly sure what he'd do if it came to that, but he didn't think these guys were even thinking enough to try that. The crowd still muttered, but now they were losing their fire, they didn't know what to do. Of course they didn't. These guys were all untested, they didn't know real danger. They didn't know what it took to step over that threshold of fear; how to make that step past what was safe and into what you knew you needed to do. It didn't matter how old any of these guys were, it didn't matter that they were probably all round his age. These guys were like children with their eyes closed to what it was like to be an adult.

"Are you finished now, Shuu?" It was Seiji's voice… aggravatingly calm as he could have expected. He turned his head only slightly so that he could see him. He wanted to get a good look at the blond, to see how Seiji was responding to all of this, yet at the same time he had to show Seiji that he thought little of him right now. The warrior of light? Certainly not anymore, that was for sure. The blond took a few calm steps forward, inside of the ring that'd formed around Shuu. He stepped inside, as if he would tame the beast the others had circled. Shuu wasn't exactly sure how to read Seiji at the moment, but all told he was more inclined to treat him as an enemy. The look that he gave Seiji said clearly enough that he'd do more than strike his chest this time if things got messy. Seiji leveled that amethyst-blue orb at him, his mouth drawn in a taut line.

"I don't have a car," he said bluntly, making it clear that no, he wasn't done and he wasn't going to drop this. The two former Troopers stared at each other, and while it might have seemed like something was passing between them, there was really nothing. Shuu felt so disconnected right now, it was like those very first days. Back when the five had gotten their butts kicked due to their egos and inability to work as a team. It was almost a little scary how clear the rift felt right now, but Shuu refused to fear anything. As he watched Seiji he thought he saw the blonde's lip twitch, like he was about to say something but thought better of it.

"Takeshi…"

"No Seiji! Not even if you ask me."

"… is this really it then? Fine. Looks like he'll have to beat Katsu in his Jeep."

Shuu's eyebrows twitched but no… no way was Seiji getting off this easily. He couldn't just slink up now and pretend that he'd been on Shuu's side this whole time. He wasn't going to show any thanks here. Some people in the crowd grumbled that this was all just a big joke, and Shuu made it a point not to look at them. Instead he looked at Katsu. "You really ok with this? Guess you don't have so much say over these guys after all."

Katsu sneered and looked to someone. For all Shuu knew it was at random, but he guessed it was probably one of his cronies. "Oi, Bunpei. He's practicing on your car."

"What? No way!"

"Shut up and give him the keys. He trashes it; he buys you a new one. Only fair, huh Shuu?"

Shuu nodded, even though he suspected it'd take a big chunk of his earnings to do that. Oh well, more incentive to just be good at this. If this Katsu guy could do it, after all, then there was no way he couldn't. He of course ignored that nagging voice that reminded him that this guy was apparently a better driver than Seiji. Bunpei tossed his spare keys to Shuu, grumbling threats all the while. Shuu caught the keys and shoved em in his pocket. He'd find out which car it was later, another day. The guy needed to drive it home, after all. "Yeah, no problem."

"Good, we're go. The day of the race I'll have the cars set up that we drive. Now for the course it'll be…"

"The mountain path."

Shuu turned his head to look at Seiji, but Seiji had turned his back on him, quietly pressing his way out of the ring. Katsu opened his mouth to argue but didn't. Shuu stood sort of dumbstruck for a moment before he finally started to move. He stalked off after Seiji, the ring parting for him as he headed away.

-

It probably would have just been best to have called a cab, or maybe he should have seen about his Jeep. But as it was, Shuu was simply stalking after a certain blond who was walking off who knew where into the night. No… you couldn't even call it night anymore. He was starting to feel tired as hell and had a sneaking suspicion that the sun would be coming up pretty soon. At least they weren't stranded out at that beach. That would have been a hell of a walk back. The walk would have been useful though… help him blow off all this frustration. What would really help… however… was kicking a certain blond in the rear. "Oi! Hey!" All he got was a continued view of the back of Seiji. He picked up his pace almost jogging to catch up to him. "Hey, stop." Oh he knew his voice sounded pretty pissed off, but he figured he had every right to be.

When Seiji continued to ignore him, he couldn't help himself. He ran a couple steps to close the distance and grabbed Seiji's arm, yanking the guy around. It wasn't until after the fist hit his jaw that he realized he'd set himself up for that. But oh… Seiji was going to have to do better than just a fist to the face! It hadn't been enough of a blow to force him to let go, and Shuu pulled Seiji towards him as he brought a knee up to the other's gut. He heard Seiji as the breath was knocked out of him, but the blond didn't go down. He twisted out of Shuu's grip and brought his own leg around to connect with Shuu's side before stepping back, clearing out some room. Shuu stumbled to the side, refusing to put a hand to where he'd been hit. He wouldn't show weakness. The blond seemed ready for that physical fight now, and after that stunt earlier, Shuu was just about ready to go through with it all.

The two clashed again, caught in a grapple at first before Shuu swung things to his advantage. He simply had more weight on Seiji. One on one like this… with their comparable fighting skill, it simply kept things in his favor. He'd just taken Seiji down to the ground, intent on keeping him there, when the blond twisted and managed to catch Shuu's arm at an off angle. The pressure placed upon his elbow, pushing back over his head, forced him to relent and the blond got back up. Considering they were on the side of the road, they were likely to cause a bit of a commotion if they kept this up or got even close to going all out. Not as much of a commotion as they could have back in the day… but it was still something to see two guys beat each other to a bloody pulp.

The dark soggy navy sky of the night was starting to shift, a lightness seeping across the horizon to further prove that they'd been out all night. Shuu shifted his weight on his feet, watching as Seiji kept his focus locked on him. Shuu spit on the ground, and then he finally spoke up. "What was that back there, huh?"

"Hmm? Looked like someone making an ass of himself and then blaming me for not cleaning up his mess."

Shuu could swear there was a vein throbbing in his forehead at that comment. Is that… is that what he thought happened back there? "Are you blind? Maybe you should move that hair of yours, cause all I saw was some jerk stabbing me in the back and being too much of a _coward_ to stand with his buddy!"

"Oh, is that so?" At least Seiji was shouting at him too. Shuu thought he really would have lost it completely if the blond had pulled that calm superiority act on him here. "Is that how you saw that all? So you're saying when you act like an idiot, I must be one too?"

"Damn man, I was defending you!"

"From what!" Seiji spread his hands wide, shaking his head. "From Katsu? From _him_? You think I really care what that guy thinks? You think Takeshi honestly cares?"

Shuu stared at Seiji like he was an idiot. "Of course you two do, cowering before him like that, doing whatever he says!" Seiji cut him off.

"Did Takeshi lend you his car?"

"What?"

"Did he?"

"No… but hey, _you're_ going to teach me to drive just because he said to!" Seiji let out a bitter laugh at that, and Shuu scowled.

"You idiot… I'm going to teach you because I don't want to see you kill yourself on the road. I _know_ how stubborn you are… you'd race him even if no one taught you! You think I'm going to allow that?"

"Don't you dare try and turn this on me!" Shuu couldn't believe how loud he'd shouted that, but then again, the people who heard him across the street probably were in a bit of shock too. "You could have stopped this! You could have warned me what to say and shit rather than just abandon me there and ignore me."

Seiji gave him a rather scathing look, not that Shuu probably would have used such words. The blond stalked forward, a sneer on his face. "Oh? Should I hold your hand next time too?"

Shuu decked him. Seiji stumbled back and bent over, holding his jaw. Shuu could feel the anger radiating off of him, but then he heard the blond take in a deep slow breath. He stood there… listening as the blond tried to get a grip, control his breathing. He didn't want to admit it, but listening to those controlled breaths was starting to make his own slow down. "I do hate you."

"I don't think you do," the blond said the same thing he had earlier at the beach.

There was silence between the two for a while. Shuu was angry. He was pretty sure Seiji was angry. And neither one of them was any closer to understanding what the other was pissed about. Or maybe they both understood, they just refused to see the other's point of view. But in the end Seiji sighed, shaking his head. "Look… Shuu, I'm beat. I'm going home. We aren't far from my place… you can sleep there if you want to. We'll…" Seiji trailed off, and he did sound really tired. "We'll sort your Jeep out later."

"I don't want to go anywhere with you," Shuu said bluntly. Seiji pulled out his cell phone, sort of wiggling it as he started to walk away again.

"And you don't want these numbers, huh?"

"I'll get em in three months."

"As you wish." Seiji kept on walking. Shuu watched him walk. The sun was rising and he could already tell he was gonna sleep through the rest of his second day off. He crossed his arms and sighed, feeling tired and irritable and just a little bit like a jerk. But Seiji was too. He stared down at the ground, before shaking his head and muttering a small curse. Then, he jogged after the blond.


	6. No Forgiveness, Just a Chance

**Author's Note:**

So... I bet you all thought I'd given up on this. I haven't! I'm so sorry. But I meant it when I said I was in this to the end!

Anyhow... enjoy. I'm gonna start on the next bit right now while I have some time.

* * *

Shuu'd woken up real late in the day, too late to really make anything of it. But it was a day off, and he had been up most of the night. Hadn't been much of a night though, and as he thought about it again it just left a sour disappointed feeling in his mouth and gut. If he'd been unhappy and unsatisfied weeks ago… well… now he felt even worse. He hadn't thought it possible, but thanks to 'good ol Seiji', well, he now knew it was. The fact that he'd woken up in Seiji's house had been an impossible reminder of the night before. It'd made it impossible to think of it as nothing more than a really bad dream. He was home now, home and back in his turf where he knew things weren't going to stab him in the back. He was home where things were normal and not some stupid scene out of a bad movie. Still, even as he sat in front of the television set, he couldn't get it out of his mind. He'd tried working out earlier to relieve his frustrations, but when he'd almost chucked a dumbbell at the wall… well, he'd known it wasn't such a good idea. He didn't need to put a hole in his wall… even if that might have helped relieve some of his anger.

Last night had been a disaster, oh he'd already known that, but even when they'd gotten to Seiji's place it hadn't been any better. Seiji wasn't living at home anymore, obviously, but he wasn't living up the good life as Shuu might have thought he would in the past. Oh without a doubt, Seiji had a far better apartment than Shuu did. It was more spacious; Seiji had an extra bedroom even, so it was obvious the blond was doing well enough at… well… whatever his job was! Shuu hadn't asked, and last night was really not the time to do so. Last night he hadn't cared at all what Seiji was doing with his life. Last night he'd felt like Seiji could walk himself off a cliff and he wouldn't mind it at all. The two hadn't spoken much last night when they'd gotten in. Seiji had told him he could use the extra room, whatever else he wanted. Shuu hadn't done anything but storm into that room and slam the door shut. Was he acting juvenile? Hadn't Seiji? Quite frankly Shuu didn't care. He didn't care about that dumb blond at all anymore.

It'd been a little awkward waking up in the guy's house. It'd been completely silent. Shuu had gone to the bathroom… rinsed out his mouth, but he hadn't seen neither hide nor hair of the former swordsman as he'd made for the exit. No note. No nothing. The coward had probably fled the apartment so he wouldn't have to deal with him. So Shuu'd locked the door behind him, the knob anyway, and left. He didn't leave any message for Seiji either. As far as he was concerned he didn't want to see the guy until the end of their bet… when Seiji would have to come crawling to him and hand over the numbers. Shuu was almost mad at himself for not ripping the phone out of Seiji's hand last night. Then this would be over. He could get the other guys and ignore the one moron of the pack. He'd had to call a cab to get home… because he still didn't have his Jeep back. He wondered if he could just call the cops on those guys and say they stole it. Nah… he wasn't as cheap as that.

But, sitting here thinking, Shuu had something else now he had to deal with. That stupid bet he'd made last night. He was supposed to drive against that… what was his name again? Hell, it didn't matter. He was supposed to train and prepare and then… well he knew it. He was going to get his words shoved into his face. He wasn't a racer… he was probably gonna lose. But Shuu didn't run from a challenge, and he wouldn't run from this one! There was no way in hell he wanted Seiji teaching him how to do it. He didn't know anyone else to ask, but maybe he could find out some other way. You could learn almost everything on the internet, right? He'd just read up and practice and… yeah.

His cell phone rang, and if it'd been Seiji he would have chucked it against the wall. But instead it was a number he didn't know. Wrong number? He answered it, against his better judgment really, not recognizing the voice on the other side. But, the voice didn't seem to recognize him either.

"Shuu?"

"Yeah, who is this?"

"Hey, it's Bunpei from last night? You're supposed to practice on my car, remember? I'm dropping it off today, you home?"

Shuu ground his teeth. It wasn't like Bunpei was saying anything particularly aggravating, but the guy's attitude sailed across the line clear as day. The other guy was pissed that Shuu would be driving his car… just as pissed as Shuu was to be in this situation. "Yeah, probably."

"Fine."

Bunpei had probably almost hung up when suddenly Shuu's voice stopped him. "Hey wait a minute man… you don't know where I live."

"Seiji told us. Later."

The line cut and Shuu did toss the phone. Tossed it into his room to land on a pile of dirty clothes, so hey, at least he'd shown a little restraint and not destroyed the electronic device. He did, however, start to swear a bit, cursing at the situation and the blond. He was gonna have to tell the guy to stay out of this. He'd been doing that pretty well last night, why should he change now? But it was easy to play the 'friend' right now… when everyone wasn't watching, when his position with his new 'friends' wasn't on the line. He swore more, punching the arm of the chair with his fist in frustration, needing somewhere to go with it. But… who to? The guys he knew from the restaurant weren't the sort of people he went to with his troubles. It'd be weird if he started to open up to them or something. They were all buds… they played football and drank and hit on girls, but they didn't talk about feelings or anything like that. He could try Lin… but… well… nah. This wasn't something he wanted to talk to a girl about.

He really wanted to talk to Shin… but he wasn't an option. _'I really should have taken his cell phone.'_ Well… there wasn't much to do right now but wait for Bunpei to get over here with the car. He almost felt like just trashing the stupid thing, but he probably couldn't afford to fix it really. He ran a hand through his dark messy hair. Speaking of afford, he couldn't afford a new car, so where the hell was his Jeep? His eyes darted to the other room where his cell phone had flown to. Damn… was he really going to have to call the blond to get it back? Really? Why the hell did Seiji still have all the damn power here when the guy was being such a coward? He let out a short shout of frustration, turning off his TV. He was going for a run. He needed something, anything. Well, anything that didn't involve him damaging something.

-

He was just getting back from his run, his body feeling hot and sweaty and less tense at least, when he saw his Jeep on the street. He let out a groan. Yes, he wanted his Jeep back… but he'd just cooled his head off… if his Jeep was here than that meant he was gonna get aggravated again in _some_ manner. He slowed up his jog, eyeballing the vehicle as if he was expecting Rajura to come leaping off of it. That would have been welcome actually. What he really really didn't want to see was any blond hair attached to any asshole former friends. Would he really feel any better if Seiji had just left the car here and bailed though? The thought ground around in the pit of his stomach. This… this was why he hated thinking. This was why he preferred acting. Thinking got you ulcers, acting got you results. Action… what action could he take right now?

Well, he could drop kick Seiji. He couldn't believe that the blond had stuck around. Shuu wasn't sure just how this had all been orchestrated, but there was his Jeep, and just further down the street, a couple spots away, was Bunpei's car. And of course, Seiji was by his own car. Not his racer, just his personal car. The blond was playing with a set of keys in his hand, staring at them. Shuu knew he probably knew that he was here… but Seiji didn't seem to want to look up at him. _'Serves you right asshole.'_ Shuu had made up his mind though. Seiji was the scared one here, not him. Maybe Seiji couldn't back him up, but Shuu was going to be a man about this. He wasn't going to dance around the subject and try and over think it. They both knew what had happened, and Shuu knew exactly what he wanted to happen from now on. He stalked over towards Seiji, his adrenaline still high from his run.

"Those Bunpei's keys?" It wasn't even so much of a question as a demand. He shoved his large hand out at the blond, his eyes hard as stone, his voice without any faults or cracks. The blond turned his face up to look at Shuu, giving him a nod and dropping the keys into Shuu's palm without a word. Shuu took them and turned right around, marching for his apartment.

"Do you want me to teach you?" Seiji's words seemed oddly void of emotion, and Shuu just turned on the guy, pointing at him vehemently.

"I don't wanna see your face again until you're coming by to give me the numbers of my _friends_, got that? Not a day sooner!" Seiji's eyes widened for a second, the one Shuu could see anyhow, but then the blond looked down again. He brought up his hand to pinch at the bridge of his nose… or maybe it was to cover his eye. Shuu didn't care. He wasn't going to stick around for the theatrics. Seiji could burst into tears and it wouldn't mean a damn thing to him. It'd just further prove how low Seiji had fallen. He started to storm back to his apartment when he heard the footsteps behind him. Rage coiled in his chest like a viper, hungry to lash out. Seiji was going to follow him? What did he think he was going to accomplish? The minute he felt the very slightest pressure from Seiji's hand Shuu whirled around, ready to sock the guy. But Seiji had been expecting it; he'd been ready for Shuu's predictable reaction. Shuu ground his teeth and swore, trying to find a way to pummel the blond who'd just ducked. Shuu tried to get around, but Seiji seemed to be really trying to keep pace with him today. _'He can try all he likes, I'm still gonna kick his ass today.'_

"Shuu! Not like this."

"Like I care asshole." Did the blond think he was going to talk his way through this? Hell no. Not today. He swung for the blonde's face, trying to show him through actions that he wanted the guy to shut that mouth of his. He didn't have any trouble keeping it shut last night! Seiji seemed to growl a little in frustration, or maybe it was supposed to be a sigh. Regardless, with Shuu coming at him like that, the blond didn't have a chance to act all composed and in charge here. Shuu hadn't landed any clean hits yet but Shuu knew you could only play defense in a fight so long. Pretty soon the more aggressive one would come out on top. Seiji would get sloppy here soon enough… and then he'd take the guy down. He'd show him how mad he was about yesterday. Show him just what he thought of him now! His angry thoughts seemed to fuel him on, and he kept it up. A punch blocked? He moved right into a kick. That didn't work? He centered himself then attempted to hit Seiji with his side, his body, his mass. It was a wonder his neighbors weren't calling the police with how serious this fight was becoming. But still, it was all Shuu doing the 'attacking'. Seiji seemed to be working too hard at defense to run that smart mouth of his… but he wasn't doing anything to end the fight yet. Still just defending.

"Is this it Seiji?" The two had taken a step back for a moment, Shuu preparing to step right in again, Seiji watching him with that cold eye of his. "No guts man… no guts last night… none now. What happened to your backbone, huh?"

Seiji's eyebrow twitched, his jaw setting for a moment. Shuu smirked and lunged in. Maybe this would get the guy serious about this fight. But instead of dodging… or blocking, or even parrying the strike, Seiji took it. Shuu watched as the blond stumbled back, his reflexes of old keeping him on his feet. It hadn't been a punch, just a strike to the chest. Still, it caused Seiji to cough a bit as he continued to glare back at Shuu. The larger man stood ready though, he was sure that Seiji would retaliate. But he didn't. Shuu shook his head. "What is your problem!" Now he was getting even madder. The blond wouldn't fight, he wouldn't defend, and now he wasn't even speaking! _'Stupid head games!'_ That's what this had to be again. Again! Shuu straightened up and snorted. "You know what Seiji? I'm done with you. Get outta here. I don't need you standing around pissing me off. Go."

Seiji straightened up, watching him. They were both sweaty and disheveled, neither one looking presentable. Sure, Seiji still had that sense of composure to him, but their clothes were definitely a mess. In fact, Shuu noticed with satisfaction, he'd ripped the sleeve of the blonde's shirt. Shuu raked a hand through his hair and tried to take in a deep breath to calm himself when Seiji neither turned to go, nor said anything. He shut his eyes for a moment. He was really going to lose it. He was really going to go off on him. "Look… Seiji… now is _not_ the time to fuck around with me. Tell me right now… no fancy words… just tell me right now what they hell you're doing. If you can't do that man, seriously, we're done." _'Why? Why am I giving him all these chances? He screwed me over last night… he hung me out to dry. Why am I doing this? He doesn't deserve this.'_ Problem was… Shuu didn't have the answer for 'why'. He just… was. But he was serious. This was Seiji's last chance here.

"I don't know." Well, those hadn't been the words he'd been hoping for out of Seiji's mouth, but at least they were something. Still, they were sort of insulting, and Shuu didn't buy it. Seiji was claiming to not know a lot of things lately. But… he'd never been so 'confused' back then. Shuu folded his arms across his chest and stared Seiji down. He had more explaining to do before Shuu would say a thing. Seiji was on trial here, not him. The blond seemed to glean the situation, shaking his head and starting up again. At least he was looking him in the eye.

"Look Shuu… I… really messed up last night. I know that. But I… I can't think of any way to make it up to you. Sorry seems shallow. Doing you a favor seems like I'm trying to bribe you into forgetting. Hell… letting you kick my ass doesn't seem to be the answer either. I want to make amends but I…" The blond gave him a rather defeated half smile. "I can't, it's just that simple. I can't excuse what I did last night."

"You got that right." Seiji seemed to accept the anger in Shuu' tone. He took a step towards the guy. "Nothing can excuse it." He watched Seiji nod his head. Shuu stared at him… and he didn't know what to do. He wanted to give the guy a second chance, but he was finding it harder and harder now. The way Seiji'd just put it… it was impossible to forgive the guy. It was just like he'd said… there was no way for him to make amends. Shuu blinked for a second. _'Wait, that ain't his decision.'_

"Maybe you can't excuse it, but don't you think it's pretty arrogant to decide it all on your own? Maybe you can't excuse it, but you aren't giving me the chance to either man. This isn't your call… it's mine."

The blond turned a calculating eye on Shuu, which bothered him. He was going to start getting really paranoid if he kept assuming this was all some sort of plan on Seiji's part. But… the guy didn't know everything, and it was really obvious he wasn't anywhere close to perfect.

"I… suppose you're right," the blond ventured slowly, and Shuu sort of got the issue here. Seiji didn't like to give up control of the situation. Even if giving up that control might fix things a bit. In fact… thinking about it, that might have been part of Seiji's problem last night. He wasn't top dog back there… and he couldn't control things. Couldn't control the other drivers, but most of all, couldn't control Shuu. It was oddly satisfying to be something the blond couldn't control. "Well then Shuu… I suppose you… need to tell me then. What do you want to do. About us."

Shuu still needed some time to think, so he bought himself some time. "Bah, 'us'? Don't start making us seem like an item here." He scratched at his forearm a bit. Ok, bad joke, and it didn't even buy him all that much time. He let out an aggravated sigh and swore. "You know what? Who cares? Damn… why is this so complicated? I'm done, enough, whatever."

Seiji looked at him, obviously not knowing what that answer meant. Shuu didn't either, but he decided to go with what he'd decided earlier. He'd give the blond a second chance. The guy hadn't totally blown that opportunity. But, first he had to lay out some rules. "Look… Seiji… we went through hell together, and that means something to me, ok? Ya got that? So that's why I'm givin' ya a chance here, because that's how I want to do it. It's not a blank slate, kay man? You pull a stunt like that again and I'll either beat the shit out of you or… I dunno. But you get me, right? What you did last night… you and I agree… I _shouldn't_ forgive you for it… and I'm not really, ok? But I'm just gonna deal with it, and you're gonna deal with it. Deal?"

Seiji seemed a little hesitant, looking away for a moment. "So this is only because of what we went through… in the days of the armors?" He didn't look back at Shuu, but that was fine.

"Well yeah, of course. Because we don't know each other otherwise. All I know is Kourin no Seiji… and I liked him. I trusted him. Can't say I'm impressed with Date Seiji, but that's life. You're lucky I met the other you."

"The other me." Seiji's voice was sounding detached again, and Shuu had a feeling he'd insulted the guy a bit. But that was good so far as he was concerned. The blond let out a tiny snort. "Very well. I accept your conditions. I'll get going now."

"Huh?" Shuu's mouth was just a little faster than his mind. He'd already remembered that he'd told Seiji to leave earlier, but of course he had to go and say something dumb. Just when he'd been on top. The blond seemed like he wanted to laugh at him, but wisely kept it inside.

"You do want me to leave, right? I made a promise, I'll be back on the appointed day to hand over the numbers if you still want them then. Otherwise… I'll leave you be." The blond was watching him carefully. "That is… still what you want, right?"

Shuu stared at him and frowned. This was worse than having a high maintenance girlfriend. "Look… you still have to teach me to drive. Forget what I said. You should know I don't think straight when I'm pissed off, alright?"

Seiji gave a small smile and nodded. Shuu was amused to see how careful the guy was being. Maybe… just maybe… the blond had actually been a bit scared that he'd lost Shuu's friendship. Nah, what did it matter, Seiji had all those other guys right? Or was it like his mother had said sometimes… it wasn't quantity that mattered… just quality? Shuu took a step back. "Ok then… so we're set. I'm not in the mood for driving lessons today though man, so how about… tomorrow night, after work or something?"

Seiji nodded. "Alright… tomorrow night." Shuu gave Seiji a wave, then headed back inside. He needed a shower. All of this was really giving him a headache. _'Just stay focused on the big prize… keep your focus.'_ Still… he was starting to feel a little better.


	7. Dinner Break

**Author's Note:**

Wow, an update already? I'm really trying to squeeze in as much time for this story as I can. I know this chapter is a little short, and very OC and dialogue filled, but I hope by the end you can tell that the next one is going to be rather action packed. But for now, a little advice to help Shuu get his head on right.

* * *

Shuu was having trouble focusing. All day at work he found himself to be agitated, annoyed, and his mind certainly wasn't on his cooking. Thankfully he hadn't made any mistakes yet. He didn't want someone to get sick at the restaurant because of his own personal issues. Even so, the more that time ticked on, the worse he felt. Tonight he was going to have to see that bastard again, and tonight he'd be there as his student. As if he were the inferior one. Yesterday's choice to give the guy a second chance was getting harder and harder to deal with. Taking the moral high road well… it wasn't very satisfying. It felt as if he were just punishing himself here. He was letting Seiji get away with things too easily. But what else could he do?

"Hello? Earth to Shuu? Come on, we need to get that order up!" Lin's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, the sous chef watching him as she worked. Shuu knew she thought something was up with him; she was pretty perceptive after all. Still, he gave her a nod and focused on his work more. Now wasn't the time to get into this. You weren't supposed to mix your personal and private lives together. But the look that she gave him seemed to tell him that she'd be wanting answers later. He really didn't want to talk to a girl about this. He assumed she'd just tell him to do what he was trying to do anyway. Talk it out… give him a chance. Yeah, there was no advice she could give him that would make him feel better at all. He glared at the food he was preparing, imagining the part he was cutting had one amethyst-blue eye and blond hair.

At the end of his shift, Lin confronted him in the prep room, asking him if he had time to discuss it.

"Hey sorry Lin, but I gotta go meet someone."

"Is this the 'someone' who's got you in such a bad mood?"

Shuu stared at her. The shorter girl gazed back with a penetrating gaze. Not the sort that Seiji used, hers was full of confident intuition. He assumed he'd reacted in some way to make her think she was right, and well, she was. He gave a nod of the head, and Lin gave a sympathetic smile. "Is it a girlfriend? Something else… oh! Does this have anything to do with the old friends you were trying to look up?" Shuu scratched his head, nodding.

"Yeah… old 'friend'." His bitterness at using the word was pretty clear, and Lin's lip seemed to pout out a bit in sympathy. She took a step closer to him.

"Well… I don't know the story here… but if you'd like to talk about it… why don't we go out tonight?"

"And ditch him?" Despite the fact that he sounded pretty shocked at the idea, part of him was actually pleased with the thought. Even so, it was hard to accept the offer. "Look, he might be a total ass, but I don't want to give him anything he can use against me, you know? If I start acting dumb, then he'll just get all uppity and say I'm just as bad."

Lin reached up to undo her ponytail, giving him a bit of a shrug as she did. "I don't know Shuu… sounds like he'd find a way to do that anyway, at least that's the impression your statement gives me. But like I said… I don't know the whole story so…" She trailed off purposely, her eyes asking him to tell her all about it. What was it about girls that they had to be so nosy about everything? It was almost funny. Shuu had asked her out multiple times before and she'd always shut him down. But now that it was to talk about his problems, it didn't look like she wanted to take no for an answer. It was… well… annoying.

"You know… I'm really tired of people calling the shots."

"Huh?" Lin seemed a little confused for a moment. Shuu almost started to vent his anger at her, but he knew well enough that she wasn't the one he was really mad at. She didn't want to date someone at work… but she seemed to want to be his friend right now. Well… he could use at least one he supposed.

"I pick the place… I pay… and I decide how late we stay out."

Lin's eyes widened a little bit. She seemed sort of startled, but she nodded her head. "Ok, let me get my stuff then."

Shuu nodded. Good. No complaints. He liked that. He was pretty much set to go already, but he looked down, vaguely at the pocket that his cell phone was in. Nope. He wasn't going to call the jerk. He could sit outside his apartment waiting all night. It'd be just a tiny bit of revenge on the guy. Not nearly enough. Not even close to all the rage he wanted to still vent on him. He did reach into his pocket to silence the cell phone though, because he wasn't about to get harassed tonight. Screw Seiji tonight. And every other night. He waited for Lin to come back out, and then the two walked to his Jeep.

"Need anything from your car?" She shook her head no, and he opened the passenger's door to the Jeep for her. She climbed in, and he shut it behind her, using the manners that people probably assumed he didn't have. When he got into the Jeep himself, he turned the static of his radio off. It made no sense why he kept trying to get music out of the dumb thing when it was so obviously busted, but so it went. He stuck the key into the ignition, trying to think of some place to go. Nowhere near home. That was for sure. Somewhere quiet? No, then he'd make a big scene if he started to rant about Seiji. Somewhere loud then? While he was ok in a bar, he didn't want to surround Lin with a bunch of loud drunk guys. He suspected she could hold her own, but he wasn't going to ask for trouble. Especially since he'd be more than willing right now to get into any sort of fight.

The compromise ended up being an all night diner. It wasn't all that late right now… but these places tended to let you stay as long as you liked. It attracted a decent variety of people, so it'd be loud enough that he hoped he wouldn't stand out. Lin seemed fine with the choice. Yeah, she had no say in it, but Shuu didn't want her to be miserable.

They ended up getting seated near the back, purely on chance, and at first they just talked about pretty bland things. Work, what food they were going to order, if they'd seen last week's episode of a certain TV show. Safe topics like that. This was pretty much their first time hanging out outside of work, and it was nice to get to know each other a little without having hot ovens, fryers and orders to deal with. Working inside the kitchen was a pretty fast paced job sometimes. During the slower hours of the day, yeah, there was time for chatting. But still, this was sort of nice. They didn't end up getting to the Seiji issue until after Lin had ordered an after dinner coffee, and Shuu was sitting back digesting his own food.

"So…" Lin was the one who brought up the subject. She almost seemed like she didn't want to, and in a way Shuu felt the same way. Just being out and forgetting about the blond had cheered him up a lot. He'd been feeling better. Now… now it was time to go right back to being frustrated. "What's going on with this old friend of yours?"

Shuu took in a deep breath. Where in the world should he begin? How much to say? "Well… I used to be on this team with the guy. What we did isn't important… I mean it was at the time… really important… but that's not the point right now. "

Lin nodded. She understood he didn't want to get into the details. She looked curious, but wasn't going to press the subject. Shuu continued on.

"Anyway… we were all tight… all of us on the team. We trusted each other with our lives, that's how close we got, you know? It was unspoken; we had each other's backs. No matter what happened… we had each other." He paused for a moment. "Sound unbelievable to you?"

Lin shook her head. "No, I believe you, go on." She seemed sincere to Shuu, so he did.

"A few years ago… the team got to thinking that we weren't really needed anymore… as a team. That we should disband it all… stop doing what we do. You can probably guess I was against that… still am. But it was them against me… so I had to go with it. We disbanded… and we even said we weren't going to be in contact anymore."

"… why? That seems pretty extreme…"

"They said it was so we could move on… get into more normal routines and crap like that. So we would make a clean break from what we used to do. Damn, I'm making it sound like I was in a gang or something, aren't I?"

Lin laughed lightly and shrugged. "Sort of, but I'm not here to judge you or anything. Just to listen."

"Thanks. So ok… I live for years without contact with them… and it bugs me. I miss the old days. I really really do. So then I, out of a weird coincidence, see that damn guy again… street racing right past me! I started thinking that 'hey, maybe this is my chance… maybe I can catch up'. I missed him, you know? Him and all the other guys. And I caught up to him too… and I though that maybe things really would go my way, like I could get the team together again…" He grit his teeth for a moment, getting right on back to the part that was pissing him off. He balled his hands into fists and set them on the table. He didn't slam the table like he wanted to, but his hands shook a little from how mad he was. "Well that isn't going to happen now! The asshole seems to have found some morons he likes better." He shook his head for a moment. "I get into a bit of an argument with one of his new 'pals'… people who don't even know him… and what happens when they turn against me? Huh? Where's he? Silent in the god damn crowd!" He barely lifted one of his hands to pound it on the table, the plates and cups rattling as he did so. He hung his head, shaking it, too mad to even say anything else. They were quiet for a few minutes, before Lin's calm voice caused him to look up.

"So… why were you going to see him tonight then? From what you're saying, it seems like you should just cut ties with the guy. He doesn't seem worth you caring this much."

"I…" Shuu shook his head. "I made this stupid bet with him. See… I wanna find the rest of the team, and he has the numbers… but he won't give them to me! So I made a bet with him so I could get them back. But then last night… when he stabbed me in the back… I made another bet. It sort of involves him. Not really I guess."

Lin chanced a very small laugh, and if it hadn't been her he might have gotten really pissed. "Remind me not to have you as a gambling partner… you don't seem very good at betting."

"Ha ha." He replied dryly. He watched her as she took a sip of her coffee.

"But… it seems to me… like you need to start standing up for yourself here, Shuu. You keep waiting for this guy… oh what's his name anyway?"

"Seiji," he grumbled.

"Seiji… well… you keep waiting for Seiji to get your back, waiting for him to tell you how to get to what you want. A little earlier you snapped at me… you know, before we left? You said you were sick of people calling the shots for you. So… don't let them. Take charge. You know what you want… right?"

"Well… yeah…"

Lin nodded. "Then go for it! Look, I know there's a certain sense of honor to you Shuu. I see it in you, you know? But I also know that you aren't the sort who likes to be pushed around. You seem too… solid to me. But right now it's like you're stuck in the sand, getting dragged about without anything to latch onto. Just tell this Seiji guy the bet's off! Don't play his games if you don't want to. Nothing says you have to, right?"

"Then how do I find the rest of the guys?"

Lin shrugged at him. "To be honest, people willing to just cut you out of their lives like that don't seem worth finding to me. But, if that's still what you want to do, then just… make him give you the numbers. You're a big tough guy. You can do it."

It was really refreshing to have someone on his side like this. Yeah, it sort of pissed him off a bit when she half insulted the rest of the guys. It hit home a bit, but he wasn't going to argue. Not right now. Not when he didn't know if this sort of thing would happen with the other guys. Certainly Shin wouldn't be like this, but Shuu knew nothing was certain about anyone anymore. But he did mull over Lin's words. He really should just take what he wanted. Seiji was playing him for a damn fool… and he was letting him. It needed to stop, and now. Wow… he hadn't wanted to talk to a girl, but this had helped. She hadn't told him to do anything he hadn't been wanting to… but still. Support was appreciated.

"You know Lin… thanks. I didn't really wanna get into this… but I think it cleared up my head a bit."

"Great, so you know what you're going to do?"

"Yep. But, I don't think you wanna hear about it." He gave her a grim look. She turned her head away.

"Probably I don't. Just be safe about it… I don't wanna hear about one of our cooks getting arrested or something."

Shuu laughed. "You'd bail me out of jail, right?"

"Not on your life." She smirked at him, he grinned back. It was all coming together in his head now. Tomorrow night he'd call the blond… and tomorrow night the blond would see him whether he liked it or not. And tomorrow night… he was going to teach Seiji a thing or two about the way he was acting.


	8. The First Victory

**Author's Note:**

This chapter was a bit difficult to write for various reasons. I had to rewrite parts more than was fun. Hopefully it all came together in a manner that makes sense. But, I'm sick of looking at this chapter! So here it is. Again I apologize it took so long. It seems I'm always apologizing for that.

* * *

Shuu's day felt very long. He was starting to really wonder if a day would ever come again when he could go to work and just feel dissatisfied about being bored with life. It was, he knew, _very_ ironic to be wishing for something like that again. Apparently things could always get worse, and the phrase 'be careful what you wish for' was ringing in his ears. Who knew that wishing for the old days, to get the armors and his comrades back, would lead him to this sort of mess? Who knew trying to get it all back might mean losing the past in a whole different manner? It was making him crazy. Not really… but still. He'd been thinking about things way more than normal, and he didn't like it. All these thoughts felt restricting… made him feel like he wasn't even himself. It was actually making him doubt who he was… all because he doubted someone else.

His knife came down rather vigorously on the cutting board, and he took in a deep breath. He really didn't need to make matters worse by breaking some of the restaurant's cutlery. He relaxed his grip on the knife and looked over his shoulder sort of sheepishly. Lin was there, and she gave him a sort of knowing look before going back to her own duties. She hadn't tried to talk to Shuu about what he was planning to do tonight, and that was for the best. Not only was it not appropriate for work talk, but Shuu was done talking and worrying over his choice. Putting it into action would be best… and after tonight he'd have the answer he was looking for through all of this. No more games… no more letting someone pull him around.

He was hoping for the best, but he was also ready for it to go bad. Real bad.

There was a heavy weight sitting on his shoulders and chest throughout the entire day, but he wouldn't crumble, he wouldn't chip apart or crack. He tried to keep himself centered… steady himself so that tonight maybe… maybe… he wouldn't explode so fast. A lot of it would depend on Seiji…

_

The blond had answered his call at least. That was… good. A start. Shuu had enough trouble reading Seiji's thoughts when they were in person, so he couldn't even hope to get a feel of what the blond was feeling after being stood up last night. Not that it'd been a date, but Seiji's armor had responded to spirit… to courtesy. His upbringing was strict and politeness expected. To simply be brushed off… Shuu had expected Seiji to throw a fit or something. Or… to use that icy cold tone of his. He'd gotten neither response, one that seemed as if it didn't mind that he'd been ignored without so much as a call. _'Maybe he knows he doesn't deserve it after what he did.'_ Or… it could all be a game, a plan. It could be Seiji seeing past any sort of efforts Shuu would make to reclaim control. _'Stop! Stop over thinking this!'_ As it was he was doubting he should even meet his old friend tonight. He didn't think it was just to treat someone poorly only because they'd done it to you. He struggled with that the most, really. That was probably where Seiji was getting his leverage. From Shuu's reluctance to be harsh on him. Yeah, they'd come to blows… but Seiji's non-physical attacks always seemed to hurt just a bit more.

He let out a sigh when he cut the engine of the Jeep, parked outside of Seiji's place. At least he didn't have to force a visit. Seiji hadn't argued at all when Shuu'd declared he'd be coming over. Shuu didn't tell him why, and Seiji didn't ask. He ran one of his large hands through his short dark hair, eyeballing the residence as if it was one of the massive gates to Arago's domain. A challenge waited beyond that door, and Shuu was going in without anything to defend him. He'd have to trust his heart, trust the feelings of the past, and trust that what he was doing was actually the right thing. _'Man it'd help if Shin were here.'_

Well, he could handle it anyway. He marched to the door, his frame looking as big and confident as it ever did in the past. The knock he'd placed on the door was solid and loud, resonating through the wood to alert the other of his presence. He was dressed casually, just some jeans and a t-shirt again. He knew that tonight might come to some exchanged blows again… there was no reason to bother trying to look good. This wasn't some wedding party he was attending or something. When the blond opened the door it appeared as though Seiji might have anticipated this as well. He had a loose pair of workout pants on, a simple shirt covering his own chest. Even so, when he answered the door he gave Shuu a simple smile as if nothing at all was wrong. Shuu could read that eye though… at least enough to see that in the background, Seiji was wary. _'Good.'_ Shuu slipped off his shoes in the entryway, following the other inside.

"Would you like anything to drink? Eat?" The blond was a polite and attentive host as he led the two of them into the common sitting room. Shuu shook his head no.

"Look Seiji, let's just get to it." The blond paused and observed him, that amethyst-blue eye regarding him calmly, analyzing him critically. Shuu could feel his jaw tighten as he held firm to his resolve. He took a deep breath, never letting his gaze waver from the other even for a moment. It was time to make his first demand. "You need to stop racing."

"What?" Seiji couldn't completely mask the incredulous tone in his voice, and it was obvious the blond hadn't though that would come up. For just a moment, Shuu thought he'd get a straight answer out of him. It looked like Seiji had been surprised enough to be curious rather than snide. But the blonde's mind was working too fast to let simple emotions get through, and the moment was lost. He arched a brow, a mild smirk on his lips as he tilted his head. "And just why do I need to do that? Too scared you'll lose that bet, trying to run away from it?"

"You really… really… need to stop insulting me…" Shuu interjected tensely, his eyes flashing a quick warning to Seiji. The problem was… they were both warriors… it'd take more than a look to get Seiji to back down completely. The blond frowned a little bit and crossed his arms, no trace of humor in his face.

"Then? What is it? Perhaps you think that if I stop racing… we'll suddenly become better friends? You think that, without the racing… I'll revert to the person I was?" His voice was low and even, cold but not an arrogant sort of sound. The contempt that seemed to lace what Seiji was saying was obvious enough though. It was loud and clear to Shuu that obviously Seiji didn't think Shuu had thought this over. But he wasn't just 'the big strong dumb one'. He wasn't a brilliant man, but you didn't need to be to see some things.

"No. I just see the sort of guy you are with them, and I don't think it's worth it. If you wanna become a spineless loser, you're doin' a good job so far."

Seiji let out a curt laugh. "Oh… so you're trying to 'save' me, huh? The guy who can't get his 'shit' together? The guy with his head stuck in the past?"

Shuu could feel his hands ball into fists. His anger was rising, and it was strange because for some reason… he felt like he was starting to see things clearer. Normally his rage was so blinding. Normally he'd get so worked up that it was difficult to see what was friend, who was foe. It'd been like that when the two of them had fought Rajura in a way. His anger and drive for action and a fight got in the way of reason. Not this time. Things felt so clear it was almost scary in a way. "You can't say that. You admitted you're stuck there too. You're the one who's gonna supposedly help me. But ya know what? I ain't the guy who had to start doing something illegal to deal. I'm not the one trying to hide his activities from his family. I'm not the one throwing away what was good." He shook his head. "Stop and think for a second… do what you always tell me to do."

The look Seiji gave him seemed like it was deadly enough to actually turn him into stone. Didn't make him worried at all though. He needed to get to the heart of the matter. He'd physically drag Seiji back to that damn waterfall he'd meditated under in the past if he really had to. Yes… he'd literally try to beat sense into this guy if it came down to that. He knew it might. He couldn't come up with words like Seiji could… but he didn't think he needed to. Tonight he was gonna get the blond to understand everything.

"You're still upset… about the other night? Mad that I didn't butt in when you started to insult not just the people I associate with… but the activity that _I_ happen to enjoy? You don't think it stung _just a little bit_ that you tried to tear down what I was doing as pointless? You _honestly_ think I'm the only one at fault here?"

"No, I don't! Shit, how are _you_ not getting it? Why the fuck are you being so stupid about this?"

"_You_ can't say that about anyone!"

Shuu grit his teeth and stared down at the ground. His body was tense. Why did he keep trying to give Seiji chances to save himself? Well... he guessed he was hoping his friend really hadn't become a giant idiot. Whatever was eating at Seiji, changing the guy... Shuu kept trying to think the blond would get over it. Wake up. Stop seeing things through a fog. "Give me a reason to not fucking hate you," he said slowly, his voice low and serious. There was a sort of finality to the tone. It wasn't an end to everything... but it was the last chance Seiji was being given to actually say something _right_. This was the last chance Shuu was going to give Seiji to come to his senses and start saying the right things. He wanted it. He wanted to hear something good. He didn't want to hurt his friend. He didn't want to. There was a tension in the room, thick as ice and just a paralyzing. Every beat of his heart sounded loudly in his chest, every breath seeming as if it was in slow motion. "I'm getting tired of giving you chances."

The blond didn't respond, and for a minute it felt surreal, as if maybe Shuu hadn't said anything. Like maybe his thoughts were trying to turn the situation into something it wasn't. The silence between the two was oppresive and thick. Shuu was just about to ask again, opening his mouth, when Seiji seemed to flinch. It was tiny, and the former warrior of stone almost thought he'd imagined it. But no, Seiji had moved. More like snapping to attention, as if for a moment he'd been somewhere else. Seiji turned his head away for a moment, started to turn away from Shuu but paused mid way. He didn't want Shuu to see his face, the bigger man figured that out easy enough. Shuu licked his lips, trying to urge his body to move. If he could see, maybe he would understand. But he felt like lead, and he couldn't manage to do it.

"I'm sorry Shuu," Seiji bowed his head and crossed his arms. Shuu took a step forward, not sure how to take the answer and the gesture. It was... submissive yet defiant, the body language closed off. Seiji's tone hadn't given him many clues to what he meant. "I'm not who you you want me to be. I don't care at all if you like who I am."

Shuu's anger flared up, but before he did anything he took a breath. Something wasn't right yet. Not yet. "Look me in the eye and say it."

This seemed to pose a bit of a problem for Seiji. Shuu watched it, it was like he could see Seiji putting on a mask, retreating behind a shield. _'Why the hell does he do that?'_ It didn't make any sense, except if you looked at it from one certain angle. Shuu's throat felt tight, but there weren't many other conclusions he could draw here. _'He really... is done then. He doesn't want anything to do with me.'_ It didn't make any sense to Shuu, no sense at all. He thought he and Seiji had a connection. More than just being former armor bearers. They both missed the old days, both couldn't adjust to this new mundane and easy life. He'd thought together, one way or the other, the two were going to find an answer. They would come to some sort of a conclusion. Whether it was reclaiming the armors or moving on, weren't they supposed to do this together?

_'But... I guess this is a conclusion. This is an answer.'_ Shuu slipped his eyes shut when Seiji refused to turn to look at him, when the blond failed to respond again. He was angry, but this was it. This stupid game was over, and though Shuu's guts were twisting inside, his mind felt chilly and clear. He let his eyelids crack open just slightly, giving a slow dissatisfied grunt. It was time to quit this. Yes. That was the truth. That was what he decided.

"Alright Seiji, I understand," his voice was calm and level, deep and resolved. The blond didn't turn his head to look at Shuu, but he did nod. Kongo took the few steps over to Seiji and held out his hand. The blond stared at it, then finally looked up to Shuu. The two locked eyes. "Give me the numbers."

"W... what?" Seiji was taken back by the comment, but he didn't obey right away. That one visible eye of his narrowed suspiciously. "It hasn't been..."

"I know, but after tonight we aren't going to see each other again. So that means... you lose the bet. You didn't do anything to make me not want the armors anymore... so you lose. Three months... two days... four years... it wouldn't matter. There's no way _you_ could convince me of anything. Just... damn it, just do the right thing before I go tonight. Hand 'em over... and we're done."

Seiji's mouth actually parted slightly, but quickly that look was washed off the blonde's face. His brows pulled in and his lips twisted as he scowled at Shuu. Seiji took a step back, pure anger in his eye. Shuu kept his body facing Seiji, his weight squared and even. The two faced each other, much as they had the past few days. There was aggression in both of their stances, yet they weren't at the point where blows would be exchanged yet. No, not yet. Shuu could see Seiji's mind working, even if he couldn't even guess at what thoughts the other was having. Shuu was done with it though... he was finally going to stop over thinking this all. It was so damn simple, he was a bit angry with himself for even letting it get this far. If Seiji wasn't going to do anything to change his mind, if Seiji was going to abuse him and treat him like dirt, then there was no reason to stick around. He'd given the guy more chances than he would most people. He'd done what he could, and now it was time to move on.

"You piece of shit." The statement was, well, certainly more vulgar than you'd normally expect of the blond, that was for sure. But Shuu knew Seiji was just as mad as he was, and while he didn't know the reasons why, that really didn't matter. Seiji could be as mad, as hurt, as upset as he wanted to be. Shuu'd held out his hand, it'd been the blond who'd refused to take it. "Look at you," Seiji all but spat out, dropping his hands to his sides, fingers curling into fists. It was like Shuu was getting to watch Seiji slowly lose his composure, something he hadn't seen since the old days. Oddly nostalgic, but out of place here. "Speaking to me like this... what right do you have? _You_... you who was never taking our bet seriously in the first place!"

"What?"

"Don't play dumb!" Seiji snapped it out quickly, then shut his mouth, obviously not wanting to be reduced to some shouting maniac. "I know this whole time you've been staring at me, confident that you could out wait the three months, that you'd just sit there and wait and then claim you win no matter what. You weren't taking this seriously from the start, so don't come in here acting like some sort of martyr who's done nothing wrong."

"What about _you_? You say you're going to help me... help _us_ get over the past... and then what? You take me out with your friends and then hang me out to dry? Stab me in the back? Sorry, but if that's your answer then I don't need anymore damn time to see I win. Just give me the damn numbers and I'm gone man! I'm out! I can't even stand to stare at you. I'm gonna go find the guys, and I know _they'll_ treat me better than you."

"There's no way I'm agreeing to taking up the armor again."

"Shit, I don't want you to... and hell, I bet Kourin wouldn't take you back anyway!"

If Shuu had been anyone else, he wouldn't have noticed that snap in Seiji's eye, wouldn't have seen the spark that sent Seiji from angry to violent. Even seeing that snap, it was only Shuu's old warrior reflexes that helped him respond to the attack. Seiji came at him so fast, so precise. If Seiji'd had his sword, a sword, any sword, Shuu wasn't sure if he'd be ok right now. But unarmed the two were of comparable skill, and while Seiji was faster, Shuu still had the weight advantage. Seiji hadn't just gone to punch him, hadn't just tried to kick him. It was an aggressive tackle, and Shuu swore under his breath when the two fell back. His shoulder hit a small table, and the sound of it breaking was better to hear that his bones breaking. The two struggled on the ground for only a moment before Shuu kicked the blond off. He rolled to his knees, ready for a secondary attack. His shoulder ached but it was honestly nothing compared to before. He hardly spared it a thought. But he wasn't thinking much right now anyway. This... fighting... physical action. This was what he knew, this was what he was comfortable with. When Seiji didn't come at him again right away Shuu was able to get back up, cautious enough not to get any splinters in his feet. He never let his gaze leave Seiji, all of his senses on fire with anticipation.

"What would you know about Kourin... how dare you say that..." Seiji's voice was low, barely above a whisper, so low that it was almost as if he didn't actually want Shuu to hear him. "Take _me_ back... why would I want..." Shuu frowned, but he was pretty sure he knew what was going on. _'He's still... he's still hurt by that. He isn't over it?'_ Everyone had thought he was over the incident in New York, but apparently there were still times the blond wasn't. Maybe it was only small lingering nightmares, but they were still inside. Just as some nights even Shuu could remember fearing the battle lust of his armor would consume him. _'Still, that's no excuse.'_

"Get out," Seiji said, his voice finally louder, his eye seeming to regain a bit of clarity. Shuu knew Seiji probably didn't want to admit that there were still times he suffered over what he'd endured either. He knew the blond would hate it if that event consumed his life. Still, Shuu knew that Seiji was the sort to brood, the sort who would dwell on things over and over until he found an answer. Maybe he hadn't found the answer to back then yet. _'We both need answers, to a lot of things.'_

"Not until you hand over their numbers."

"I won't say it again."

"Then you'll have to throw me out." It only took a couple of moments for the fight to start up all over again. It was hard to tell who threw the first punch this time, but in the end, that didn't really matter. Words were useless. Pent up feelings, regrets, frustrations... they all came out. Their bodies faced off against each other, each punch and each kick saying things far more clearly than any sentence ever could. Shuu's ribs ached when Seiji's knee connected against them. The blond coughed when Shuu tossed him down onto his back. Shuu groaned when Seiji's elbow hit his jaw. Seiji staggered when Shuu fist pummeled into his gut. Blow by blow, the two warriors argued with each other with more honesty than they had since their reunion. Each strike, the strain and sweat of the exertion. This violent dance that tore apart the blonde's home. Neither would relent, neither would give up an inch.

_

Shuu was panting, gasping for breath as he tried to see through an eye that stung from the blood and sweat that trickled down into it. Only one eye was open now, the other swollen shut from a nasty blow. His large frame heaved as he choked in air, his broad strong shoulders moving up and down with each intake of breath. The sleeve of his shirt was torn, everywhere the blond had hit him throbbing or stinging painfully. The fight had barely ended, but already the adrenaline was fading, exhaustion and pain creeping up on him slowly but surely. Still, he refused to move. He blinked an eye and stared at the blond, stared down at the man on the floor. Seiji was on his side, one hand clutching to his stomach, to the final blow that'd stopped him from getting up again. From the ragged and uneven breaths, Shuu guessed he might have broken one of the blonde's ribs, but it wasn't as though the blond hadn't done a number on him as well! Still... looking down at Seiji on the ground, at the way the blonde's hair was splayed out on the floor, messy and blood stained, it was all too clear. _'I won.'_ Shuu swallowed and tried to straighten up a bit. Every muscle in his body screamed at him in protest, but he managed to rise from his crouch.

He wasn't sure what to do right now. That fight... that fight had meant so much, but for some reason it was like he couldn't understand what to do now. The language of words refused to interpret what their bodies had just decided. It was like his mind couldn't figure out what his muscles had just worked out. He tried to take a few steps and managed to get to a chair. _'This might be a bad idea... I might not get up again.'_ His momentum was gone. He was dog tired, worn completely out. About all he could manage to do was sit here, breath, and stare down at the blond. His arms felt heavy and boneless, he couldn't even find the strength to wipe the blood off of his face. For a moment he wondered if he'd ever felt this tired when fighting Arago, but it made him laugh a little. Of course, he winced, the slight shake of the laughter made everything on his body hurt. But still... it was amazing. It was amazing how weak he was now compared to then. _'If I'd ended up this bad after fighting just one of Arago's soldiers... I would have died. But I guess back then... you had to get up. You had to move. You had no choice.'_ He took in a long slow breath, careful not to move too much.

Seiji finally started to move on the floor, no doubt his pride not allowing him to stay crumpled on the floor like that. Every move Seiji made spoke of how much pain the blond was in. Every gesture was careful, restrained, knowing full well that if he moved too fast or too much the sensation would be agonizing. Shuu watched him sit up on the floor, sitting cross legged and letting the wall behind him support him. Seiji kept a hand up against his ribs, the other hand resting on one of his thighs. The two were a silent mess for a while, neither having any desire to speak. It was strangely comfortable, the silence. Maybe it was because, for once, the situation was completely clear. There was nothing ambiguous about what had happened.

"My room..." Seiji had to pause while speaking, because even if he was trying to mask the pain he was in, there was a limit to how successful that was. Shuu stared at him, understanding. "On the nightstand." Seiji was telling him where his cellphone was, of course. The blond had lost, after all. Inwardly, Shuu was happy. Not happy that he and Seiji had fought so seriously. Not that he'd physically hurt his friend. But he was happy... because Seiji was at least honoring the fight. He was accepting his defeat.

"Okay," Shuu replied, trying to will himself to get up and go grab the phone that had the numbers in it. His breathing had become more even, but that was making him sleepy, lulling him down. He just couldn't get his limbs to move.

"Shuu...?"

He blinked and shook his head. Had he started dozing? The eye that wasn't swollen shut stung after the blink, the sweat and blood having dried over it when he'd shut it. He rolled his head to look over at Seiji. The blond was in the same spot, just watching him. "I'll grab it in a minute. I'm... not in the same shape I was." It was hard to admit, even if it was a fact. But he was older now... and his body wasn't used to this sort of thing anymore. To his surprise Seiji just gave a slight nod of the head, and a trace of a sad smile hit his lips.

"Take your time."

Shuu dozed off again, his body sagging into the chair further. The room was silent and dark, and for now Shuu needed at least a couple moments of rest. It seemed like he was only blinking, the minutes jumping along without his awareness of it. Too tired to move, too tired to think. His anger quelled by their fight, the angry beast buried deep inside him again. There was nothing to disturb the pair in the room as both shifted and drifted in and out of consciousness. Sometimes their pain would make them wake, sometimes vague dreams and memories would tug at their minds. Shuu didn't have a clue what time it was now, but did it really matter? In the state he was in there was no way he could work at the restaurant the next day anyway. He would have to use a sick day or something. He shifted in the chair a little and tried to rouse himself at least a bit anyway.

"Hey Seiji?" He wasn't sure if the blond was awake until he heard a tiny inquiring 'hmm' answer back at him. "Why didn't ya say anything when Katsu was bein' a dick?" Shuu didn't really care if he got an answer or not, but it was the last thing he needed to do tonight before he left. Well, excluding grabbing those phone numbers. The answer didn't matter, well it did... but the point was he didn't want to leave without asking.

"I was... mad at you."

Shuu frowned. "Mad at me, because of what I was saying?"

Seiji let out a breath. Obviously it hurt to talk, but at least he was making the effort. _'I guess he doesn't want me to go without knowing.'_ "Not exactly. I was mad because... seeing you again made it harder... to pretend I was ok with things. Watching how much you wanted it back..." Shuu waited while Seiji grit his teeth through another jab of pain. "And then... seeing what you thought of what I was doing..." He shook his head just slightly. "I was ashamed of myself... and tried to blame you for it. I really am sorry Shuu."

Shuu had a hard time believing that. Yeah... maybe the two had fought on the beach and stuff... but Seiji hadn't seemed that pissed. Or, maybe he'd been keeping it bottled up inside. Maybe if he thought about it, Seiji really had tried to avoid him. Shuu had been the one who'd pushed for them to stay in contact. Yeah, Seiji had come up with the bet, but even the blond had bad ideas. Was human. Was prone to misdirected feelings. The two looked at each other and Shuu gave Seiji a small half smirk. "Man, ya shoulda just said that before I beat you up." Seiji chuckled and groaned.

"Well, now you know."

"Yeah, I do."

The larger man got up and slowly made his way to Seiji's room, picking up the cell phone. His hand shook just a little in anticipation before he flipped it open. True enough, there were the numbers for the other three guys. Shuu's number was there too, but that could have been recently added of course. Shuu transfered the numbers from Seiji's cell phone into his own, then put Seiji's down. He didn't leave Seiji's room right away, his eye catching onto something. A small poorly groomed bonsai, and a shakuhachi. _'We both don't know what to do.'_ Shuu kept his phone in his hand as he walked back to the main room. Seiji's eyes were closed, but his breathing didn't seem deep enough for sleep. "Hey man..." Shuu lowered himself to the floor next to the blond. "You need me to take you to the emergency room?"

"I'll be fine... you have no obligations left here."

Shuu paused, thinking something over. "So... you were really that mad at me?"

"Hmm?"

"For... bugging you about getting the armors back?"

"Yeah... I was. I still feel bad about what I did. I was raised to be better than this."

"Eh..." Shuu tried to get comfortable sitting against the wall. "We're in the same spot, ya know? We don't know what to do... and we're just screwing up trying to figure it out. I put ya in a bad spot... you hung me out to dry..." He gave a heavy shrug of his shoulders.

"It still wasn't right of me," Seiji persisted.

"Yeah, it wasn't."

The two were quiet for a moment before Shuu wiggled his cell phone in front of Seiji, much like Seiji had taunted him after that showdown with Katsu. "I have the numbers now."

"... yeah..."

"I'll tell ya how it goes... when I call em... when the three months have passed."

"Huh?" Seiji turned his head to look at Shuu carefully. "But... you won... you don't have to wait..."

"Nah... we made a deal. Three months. But I wanna be on equal footing for this, ya know? A bet is a bet, and I'm sticking it out. But now you ain't got a thing hanging over my head. So no more damn games, alright man? I want you to actually work at this. That's how you'll make this up to me. Make an effort on this with me... show me ya actually do feel bad about what ya did." He gave Seiji his best arrogant smirk. "I think it'll be good for ya. Honestly man, you need to shape up."

Seiji's brows lifted, his lips parting slightly. It was obvious he didn't know how to take it. He wasn't sure how to react. "I... no. Shuu... stop it. I can't forgive what I did... you shouldn't keep giving me chances."

"Look Seiji, you're the one who fucked up, so you don't get any say in this. That's just how it is."

"Shuu... you..." Seiji looked vexed. Torn between the fact that he knew he didn't deserve to be treated so well... and the fact that he knew Shuu was right. He needed to clean his life up, find a _real_ way to get beyond the loss of the armors. "As you wish, then. I'll start trying to find a real answer to our problem."

"Good. Now... I guess we train for driving tomorrow night, huh?"

"Geez... you really do follow through with bets to the end. I thought I was supposed to give up racing?"

"You _should_. But... this is me racing... so it doesn't count."

Seiji gave a small chuckle, holding to his sides as he did so. "Amazing... all it took was getting beaten to a pulp to make things seem clearer... I don't like the implications of that..." Seiji let out a yawn, and Shuu couldn't stop from doing so as well. Still, inside... Shuu felt calm again. Centered. It felt like this whole ordeal was plagued with set backs, but finally he felt like he was moving forward again. Before he dozed off for the rest of the night, he texted Lin to let her know he wouldn't be there in the morning. He was in a deep sleep before her reply text ever got to him.


	9. Arrangements

**Author's Note:**

First of all... a thousand thank you's to my two most faithful reviewers! I didn't get back to you both last chapter (I feel bad about that), but your reviews really help me not only keep motivated to write the story, but help me know how I'm doing. I think it's helped make this a better story than it would be without you guys, so thanks!!!

Secondly, well, I think there are a few inconsistencies with canon in this chapter, but please bear with me. Remember, this is semi-AU. =)

A lighter chapter than the last to balance things out a bit. Drama will of course return later. ;] Enjoy!

* * *

It was the second time he'd woken up in Seiji's home, Shuu realized as he groggily tried to open his eyes. One still felt too puffy to open all the way yet, but the other dark blue orb managed to slip open without too much fuss. Sure it felt a bit crusty from the blood he hadn't cleaned off, but it wasn't too bad. _'Well, that's good at least. Man my body still hurts.'_ The fact that he'd fallen asleep on the floor, leaned up against the wall, probably hadn't done anything to help with all the aches and bruises he had now thanks to last night. In fact, the position probably created a few more pains than he would have had if he'd slept in a bed. He shifted his muscular frame, his eyes staring mutely at the carnage of the room. Almost all of the furniture in the room had been broken in some way, all except for that chair he'd sat in last night. He felt a little bad about it. In the light of the morning, things felt a little bit clearer. He was still glad of what he'd done though, and inside he knew it'd been right. He'd done it... he'd gotten his point across. He'd made Seiji see... understood him a bit more and put them both on even footing. A huge weight felt lifted off of his shoulders.

He turned his head to look at Seiji, but the guy was still sleeping. He'd been the loser, so Shuu figured he was in worse shape than he was right now. _'I should probably stay til he gets up, just in case he needs to be driven somewhere.'_ He was responsible for the wounds after all, it'd only be fair. But for now... Shuu needed to get cleaned up. He groaned as he tried to push his body on up off the floor. Everything ached and felt stiff, little jabs of pain coming from places Shuu would swear hadn't been hit last night. _'I really am out of fighting form... but I guess I haven't really had to fight anyone until I met Seiji again.'_ He looked around the room once more, wondering if maybe he should actually use some of his family's money to replace some of the broken items. Despite the way he lived right now, completely supporting himself, it couldn't be denied that he came from the most privileged family out of all of them. His family had money, restaurants that he would inherit. He could be living the 'good life' if he chose... but he'd decided he'd make it on his own. At least until they really needed him to take over. Hopefully that wouldn't be for a while yet. Shuu just didn't think he had it in him to settle into a life like that right now.

Wandering through Seiji's place, he had to laugh at himself just a little. It was sort of silly, perhaps, to expect Seiji to be living in a traditional sort of home. Even so, he always associated very out of date, very proper and authentic furniture and customs with the guy. It wasn't unfounded, but there was no reason he should be so shocked about Seiji having such a modern home. So many misconceptions they probably had about each other. It was amazing in a way. But maybe now they'd start to get past that. See more complete pictures of each other. _'Or we'll end up in the hospital.'_ He actually did laugh, before he found a linen closet with some towels and grabbed one. Then it was off to the bathroom so that he could shower.

As the water was turned on, set to heat up, Shuu stripped down and used a few brief moments to look over his body in the mirror. "Damn... if I look this bruised up, Seiji must look like an eggplant." There were bruises all over his body. Some were from the other scuffles they'd had of course, but it really seemed that if they kept at each other they were probably going to start doing some more serious damage. Still, Shuu looked his body over, able to see his muscles easily even after all these years. He hadn't stopped training with the weights, after all, just stopped fighting. He tensed his arm, watching the muscle bulge a bit, feeling rather satisfied with himself. Diligence paid off it seemed. But the steam of the shower was already beginning to fog up the mirror, so he quickly turned and got into the simple square shower. He didn't bother doing anything weird like paying too much attention to what sort of shampoo and soap Seiji might use. Those things didn't interest Shuu at all, and he wasn't really very nosy about people's hygiene.

Mostly, Shuu felt like his body was melting as the hot water came pouring down on him. The water trailed over the curves of his muscles, his solid form being soothed by the comforting heat. The tense muscles, the ones all knotted up from the fight and a bad sleep position, began to relax and ease. Oh sure, ice might have been better for the bruises last night, but right now this shower felt like a little bit of heaven. It helped to wash off the sweat, the blood. It even felt like it was rinsing away the last of his doubts and frustrations. _'Maybe I shouldn't have teased Shin about swimming to clear his head... then again... the icy ocean doesn't sound very good to me right now.'_ For probably the first time in years... thinking a thought about one of the guys didn't make his chest hurt, didn't fill him with a feeling of loss. No... instead he was optimistic. He even had to smile. _'I'm gonna get to talk to him again... to all of the guys.'_ The future wasn't certain, but it was looking bright.

-

When Shuu came back out of the bathroom and into the rather destroyed room, he immediately noticed that Seiji wasn't where he'd been before. For just a split second he thought the guy was laying in wait, that he was going to hurt him or something. But no, that was paranoid, and Shuu knew he was in control of the situation now. He paused and listened, and from the other room he could hear Seiji's voice. It was low, but Shuu could pick up those familiar polite and formal tones. He followed the sounds, seeing Seiji on the phone in his kitchen. The guy was calling in sick to work. The blond was leaned against the wall while making the call, another sign of just how bad Seiji had gotten it last night. Maybe Shuu should have felt bad, but he didn't. It'd been necessary. He didn't feel good about hurting his friend... but he didn't regret it. He left the kitchen to give Seiji privacy while he finished his call, wandering outside to a small enclosed yard that Seiji had. The guy's place wasn't very big, the more Shuu thought on it. Probably not much bigger than the place he had really.

"Good morning... I see you're feeling better than I am," came a slightly weary voice. Shuu turned his head to see Seiji. The blond had an arm around his torso, but from his tone of voice it was pretty clear he wasn't insinuating anything with his comment. There was no resentment in the voice. Just the telltale sign of a very rough night.

"Ha, yeah. I am. You gonna make it or I do I have to take you in?"

"I'll be fine, I don't _think_ anything is actually broken." Seiji gave him a look that was mock reproachful, and Shuu thought it was good to see that the former warrior of Halo was feeling good enough about things to be somewhat playful. He decided he might as well be too.

"I've lost my touch then." Shuu gave a triumphant smirk at the end of his joke, but both were actually smiling this morning. That was good. Shuu actually had a pretty healthy appetite this morning, too, but he wasn't going to start asking Seiji to cook for him. The guy probably wouldn't be moving too well today. Plus his own mother would probably yell at him quite a bit if he started asking people to cook for him after breaking stuff in their house. He scratched at his nose. "So uh hey... about your furniture..."

Seiji let out a sigh and stepped outside as well, letting his one visible eye look up at the sky. "Don't worry about it... I brought this on myself, after all. I'll... get it cleared away and replaced eventually. Who knows, maybe I'll see if I can actually fix some of it."

"You... want me to help?"

"You know how to fix furniture?"

"No, do you?"

"Well... no... "

They both exchanged somewhat amused glances. Funny how some of the most basic things could go unlearned depending on how you were raised. Still, there'd never been a reason for Shuu to learn even basic carpentry. He didn't really feel like learning it now either. Shifting his weight, he let his mind drift over the days to come. He had the numbers now, but he was sticking to the time line of the bet. He and Seiji seemed to be on the same page for things again, so they'd be working to teach him how to street race. His nights were certainly going to start getting full, that was for certain. Shuu was glad he'd worked his way up the restaurant ladder as he had. Sure, the dinner shifts usually made more, got more attention, but the schedule he had now was perfect. Well, he assumed they'd be training to drive at night. Seiji worked too and all.

"So, for this driving bet, do I stand a chance?"

Seiji eyed him thoughtfully, and this time Shuu didn't mind the gaze at all. The appraisal was needed this time, requested.

"No, probably not."

Shuu blinked for a moment, but nodded. Blunt honesty was sometimes hard to swallow, but it wasn't like Seiji was being mean here. Shuu knew that the odds were all against him. Seiji hadn't beaten Katsu, either, and he'd been doing this for a while. "How long have you been racing anyway?"

Seiji gave a bit of a smirk. "I've been driving longer than I'm supposed to have been. It wasn't a street race, but I did win one at sixteen."

"What?" Shuu's jaw dropped.

"I never mentioned it to you...?"

Shuu shook his head no. "Nope, or if you did I forgot... but how would I forget that! Your family... they couldn't have approved of that?"

Seiji chuckled. "Of course they didn't. Why do you think they've been so strict? You only need a tight leash when you've got an unruly dog."

Shuu shook his head. "I... don't know a lot about you," he stated simply.

"Well, there's a lot I don't know about you as well... I'm not the only one who hasn't really opened up much."

Shuu felt his face grow hot for a second, but he didn't deny it. He didn't purposely hide things about himself, he knew that. But, he hadn't talked too much about his family. He didn't want to seem like he was bragging. The closest he'd gotten to that was when they'd been to New York. But that trip had quickly turned sour, and Seiji hadn't gotten to spend much time until they'd rescued him. Even so... Shuu had always been careful to try and just be like any other guy. Around the other warriors especially. They were warriors together, equals. So what did it matter if he came from money and they didn't really? _'But, I guess that means in a way, I was hiding a bit.'_ It was a sobering thought, one he didn't feel like dwelling on. Hadn't he just freed himself from over thinking things with Seiji last night? So he steered the subject back to driving.

"So... you'll have to train me after work then, at nights?"

Seiji didn't press the other subject at all. "Right. Obviously the more often we practice, the better you'll do. For a while we'll be able to practice anywhere, because it'll mostly be stationary practice... training your feet and hands to coordinate your breaking, shifting and turning, timing your reaction speeds and such. Once I think you've got that down, we'll start actually taking to the streets..."

"We gonna have to head to a new place every night?"

"Probably," Seiji nodded, his tone serious. "The last thing we want to do is to draw out the police. This means a lot of very late nights driving... it'll be a little difficult coordinating where to meet up each time."

_'That's right... hmm.'_ Shuu eyed the blond for a moment. There was one way to make coordinating a little easier... and they'd done it before, hadn't they? Well, it hadn't just been the two of them, but still...

"Hey... Seiji..."

"Hmm...?"

"Why don't we room up together until the race? I mean, your stuff is all broken too and all..." Seiji cast him a look that was both curious and completely not understanding.

"Most of my home is fine Shuu... it was only that one room."

"Yeah, I know. It's just... we're gonna be serious about this bet now, right? Both of them. You need to teach me to drive, and you've got to really try now. Try and get me to not want the armors back. And me... I need to put effort into making you want em again. Want to see the guys again. I was just thinkin'... well... it's tough like this." Shuu gave a shrug of his shoulders, and paused for a moment, letting it sink in. Seiji let his eye drift away in thought about the idea, and Shuu himself took a moment to think about it. He hadn't put any thought into this really. It'd just been a spur of the moment idea, just an impulse. But his gut said this was the way to go, and he was going to keep listening to his instincts. If his head couldn't work quickly enough, his senses seemed to do so just fine. "Hey and don't just agree because you think you have to do what I say now or something. We're equals here, ok?"

Seiji's expression seemed to dim a bit, and Shuu could see it was guilt. It seemed the more he tried to patch things up, to stay nice to Seiji, the worse it made him feel for his former actions. But, Shuu was pleased when that look was shoved aside, and Seiji gave him a nod. He was considering it seriously, Shuu could see it. He was glad of that.

"Well... it wouldn't be a bad idea. Your place isn't too far from my work either... so... " He turned and gave Shuu a nod. "Looks like I'll be your house guest."

-

Shuu all but kicked open his door as he tried to cart Seiji's stuff inside the door with him. Oh sure, Seiji had insisted that he could manage it on his own, reminding Shuu that his ribs weren't actually broken, but Shuu had forced the issue for a couple of reasons. The first was, well, he was just in better shape for carrying things, broken ribs or no. The other reason, though, was because he didn't want to carry what Seiji was holding in his arms.

"You really had to bring the plant?"

"My bonsai? Yes."

"And the flute?"

"The shakuhachi? Yes."

"... why?"

"I'm supposed to be serious about things again, right? That means I... should really work to center myself again. I've been neglectful."

Shuu sighed and closed his door. They'd just gotten back from Seiji's, quite a bit of the day lost from slowly trying to prepare both Seiji's place and Seiji for the stay over here at Shuu's. Now that they were here, Shuu wasn't entirely too sure where he'd put Seiji up. He supposed in his sitting room. He wasn't inclined to go suggesting they bunk in the same room now like they had back as teens. He supposed he could shove things aside, and Seiji assured him he'd be fine sleeping on the floor. Shuu figured he could pick up a spare futon or something, to make the guy more comfortable. They had Seiji's things for the stay, and of course it wasn't as though Seiji couldn't drive back to his own place any time he wanted to. It was a spur of the moment idea, and they both agreed that if either of them wanted to stop the temporary move early, they would. They didn't need anymore fights, and there was always the chance it'd feel a bit weird. Two adult men living together like this, when they didn't financially need to. _'Does this mean I'm gonna have to keep this place super clean now? He's not gonna get all neat freak on me... that's just something we tease him about, right...?'_ He cast a dubious glance at the blond, but kept his mouth shut. _'Hell, my place, my rules, my mess. He can deal.'_

He set Seiji's stuff down and gave him a smile. "Now my place ain't so empty eh?" He remembered, of course, Seiji's last visit here, his critique of how he didn't have a lot of things. _'Now that I think on it though... maybe I should get some stuff... the guys might think I'm weird...'_ Now that he was so sure he'd be seeing everyone again, life just sort of felt different. Better. He felt justified and content in his decision to pursue the armors again. Even if... even if the armors did draw trouble and battle to them again... that was what he wanted. He wanted the feel of his old life, the thrill of his teen years, the life and death struggles that helped you know just where you stood in the world. It felt like it was all just sitting there waiting for him again, right at the end of the road. The remaining time to the bet didn't feel so stifling anymore.

"... please tell me you're not including me as some of your 'stuff' now. I'm not a... a chair or something you know."

"Haha... nah... you're like a pet." Shuu grinned at Seiji, and the blond stared back at him with deadpan eyes.

"Then feed me." Shuu stared at the blond, about to say something about manners, but just shrugged it off instead. It was all part of the game, and it was good to be joking with Seiji. They'd joked back then... joking was good. If they were joking they weren't beating on each other at least. Remembering his own hunger, he stared towards his kitchen. Cooking was just about the last thing on his mind, but he didn't really feel like going out to some place to eat.

"Yeah... alright... I am pretty hungry too."

"I think... this'll be the first time I've had your cooking..." Shuu stared at him. Had he never cooked for the guys before? _'Well, if I did it wasn't memorable for either of us I guess.'_ It didn't matter he supposed. He was a good cook, and even though he wasn't going to go all out, he was sure Seiji would like whatever he made. Shuu didn't lack confidence in this. He headed for his kitchen, noticing that he had a message on his home phone as he passed by. He took a moment to listen. It was Lin, hoping that everything was alright. He'd explain the situation to her tomorrow. Hopefully no one would be too alarmed to see him looking so beat up. He really didn't feel like working tomorrow, but he wasn't going to skip out on work like that. Starting to move about his kitchen, Shuu went somewhat on autopilot. Cooking was easy street for him, gave him time to let his mind wander here and there. He found he was oddly nostalgic, yet at the same time thoughts of the upcoming car race teased through his mind. It sure would be interesting, learning to drive like that. He assumed he was decent enough, driving wasn't hard... but this would be new.

-

It felt weird to know someone was in his home, that was what Shuu was thinking as he relaxed down onto his bed for the night. The lights in his room were off, his door left open out of habit. He was tired yet his mind was active, couldn't sleep. He and Seiji had had a peaceful dinner, just very minor small talk. Seiji had begun to tell him a few pointers about driving, and Shuu already knew he'd need to hear them again. Still, that wasn't what was keeping him up. Something else was nagging at his mind that he just couldn't quite place. _'Oh well... I'm sure it'll come to me eventually.'_ He let his eyes fall shut, and when he drifted off to sleep his dreams were filled old adventures and the sound of Kaos's staff.


	10. Behind the Wheel

**Author's Note:**

It's here... fiiiinally... the next chapter! I just have to say... thank you thank you for the PMs! You don't know how much I was struggling with this chapter... and the words and perspectives I was offered helped so very very much. I'm excited, I think I'm over one of the biggest chunks of writer's block I'll have for this story! Cross my fingers.

Anyhow... finally Shuu actually gets to start learning drifting. Next chapter I'm hoping to get over my fear of Seiji accidentally becoming the main character, and finally start really to reveal what's in his head right now.

But please, enjoy this chapter first!

* * *

Ok… so the temporary move wasn't going well. He had to be realistic… he hadn't _really_ expected the two of them to just move in all comfortably. That would have been crazy. But Shuu had thought… maybe… it would have worked out better than it had been. As it was, out of the past few days Seiji had been supposedly staying with him and teaching him how to drive, the blond had been driving home at nights and sleeping at his own place over half the time. He'd spent over half the time _not_ staying at Shuu's, and with the days to Shuu's big race dwindling down the big man still hadn't even gotten in a drive in the loaned car! It was pretty hard to learn the tricks of the race when the two were too busy yelling at each other or trying to give each other new bruises.

Just what was it that was making this so hard? Shuu had just sort of assumed that if they'd roomed together as teens under a high pressure situation like fighting Arago, this should be child's play. But, sharing his too small apartment with the blond was way too much… especially without the other guys to act as a buffer. Yes, he'd overlooked just how important the other guys had been in making sure they could all coexist. Five guys, apparently, worked just fine. Two guys… not as much. Or not at all it seemed. They'd had a few nights where they'd mellowed out some, had probably been too tired to fight. But then it'd seem like the very next day everything would annoy them. It was just another reminder that even though they were trying to 'make nice' again, they both still had a long way to go.

Shuu had actually taken to blaming Seiji a bit for their continued failure when it came to getting along. It was obvious and common knowledge that Shuu was not the one out of the two who would know just what the problem was between them. He had his guesses, of course. But even when he tried to sort of talk em over or anything, it just didn't work. He was starting to think that one of these days his own furniture was going to meet the sad fate that the blonde's had. Was Seiji really making that effort he was supposed to be making? Was he being stubborn just for stubborn's sake? Or, had the two really grown so far apart over the years that without a world threatening evil like Arago, they just had no reason to be friends?

He really hoped not. It made the past seem oddly… hollow.

"Are you even trying?" Shuu's nostril's flared as the blonde's voice tore him out of his off topic thoughts, casting his stormy blue eyes up to stare at his teacher. Tonight… _finally_, Shuu was at least in the car, but he wasn't going anywhere! They were in an empty parking lot, the driver's door open and Seiji bent over glaring at Shuu's feet on the pedals. "You need to turn your foot, keep it _on_ the brake while you press the gas down…"

"I did… I did that ok?"

"No, you didn't, I'm watching you Shuu, and your footwork is sloppy! How many times do I really need to tell you that timing and finesse is important here? Get it through that thick head of yours!"

"This is bullshit, the best way for you to teach me is to let me drive, rather than just sitting here playing DDR in a parked car! I'm running outta time man, let's skip this part!"

"Yes, right, excellent idea Shuu! Let's just get in the car, start speeding, and hope that someone with a lead foot will just instinctively know how to drift and keep control. Brilliant plan from you like always."

"Damn it Seiji!"

"Get out of the car!"

"What?"

"I said get out of the car! Get out and go sit in the passenger's seat."

The pair glared at each other, Shuu staring up from the seat, uncomfortable that the blond was standing over him. Stubbornness was setting in, and suddenly he had the very great impulse to throw the car into gear and peel away from Seiji. He thought he saw the tiniest of twitches in Seiji's fingers, and the idea struck him that the blond was probably just about ready to grab him and try to throw him out of the car. Oh Shuu knew Seiji wouldn't be able to do that. Shuu was too big, and it wasn't easy to actually wrench someone from a car if they were resisting.

"Why?"

"So I can show you what you're doing… and what you're _supposed_ to be doing." Well, Seiji had at least gotten his voice under control, but Shuu wasn't satisfied yet.

"Just because you're teaching me this Seiji, I'm not gonna put up with you barking commands at me. Ok? I'm not some brat at your family's dojo or something, got that? You talk to me with respect!" Seiji seemed a little surprised to hear a statement like that coming out of Shuu's mouth, and he sort of was surprised he'd said it as well truth be told. But until this bet was over… until they worked over whatever issues were still in the way, Shuu was going to keep asserting himself here.

"Alright, I'm sorry. Now please, get in the passenger's seat… you need to see that what you're doing isn't what I'm trying to explain."

Shuu nodded and finally complied, moving around to have a seat, strapping on his seatbelt when he noticed Seiji did the same. The blond also shut the car door, pressed down on the clutch and turned the key in the ignition. _'Finally, the car's at least on!' _The blond had to take a moment to adjust the seat of course. While their heights weren't so horrendously different that they couldn't get into the car, apparently Seiji was very particular about things. Shuu's impatience started to grow higher and higher as Seiji made miniscule adjustments to the mirrors. There was absolutely no way his tapping at the edge was actually making a noticeable difference. Still, Shuu tried to keep it inside. He wasn't the volcano.

"Ok, can you see my feet?"

Shuu leaned over and tried to look, having to tug at his seatbelt a bit in an attempt to sort of lean and wedge himself down. He gave a little grunt, contorting his body in a weird leaning slump as he tried to get a good view. "Hey if I'm just watching your feet you should have done this with me out of the car."

"You're going to watch my feet while I'm driving, so get comfortable."

His teeth clenched for a moment listening to the arrogant and condescending tone that'd laced Seiji's last statement, but he just kept shifting his body. "Ok, yeah, I can see."

"Good… now watch me closely. _This_… is what you were doing with your feet." Seiji paused for just a moment to make sure Shuu was watching, then started to move his feet, hitting the clutch with the left, dealing with both the gas and break with his right. With the ignition on the car revved, but it was left in neutral for the time being, going nowhere. Shuu stared, and from what he watched Seiji do didn't see a problem. It looked pretty much like the instructions the blond had been telling him again and again and again. A blue-amethyst eye moved to look at him, and Shuu just stared back. "Now… this is what I was telling you to do…"

Shuu looked back down at Seiji's feet, and a moment later they moved into action again. He narrowed his eyes as he watched, noticing the very subtle difference in the movements this time around. "Ok, so I was close."

"Close isn't going to be good enough, Shuu. Heel-and-toe shifting isn't even a drifting technique, it's one of the standard racing ones. You need to master and understand this before we even move on to drifting techniques."

"Come on, we don't have time…" But Seiji wasn't paying attention to him it seemed. The blond had started to look out the windows of the car, scanning around the deserted parking lot, craning his head about searching for… something. _'Is he looking out for the police?'_ Shuu sat up a little straighter and looked about, and was barely ready when Seiji released the parking brake and shoved the car into gear. "Whoa hey man…"

"Watch my feet…" The tone of voice was cold as ever, but Shuu didn't really have time to argue. The car was steadily accelerating, and though at first Shuu wasn't really certain what he was watching for, it finally happened. Seiji started that shift, his feet executing it even faster than he had before, with the meticulous precision and perfection you would have expected out of one of his sword strikes on the battlefield. It was sort of amazing for Shuu, even if this was just very basic shifting for racers. Seiji glanced over at Shuu, the car going too fast to just stare. "You see it? Do you see how easy and automatic that was? I need you to get that way."

"Do I have time?"

"Perhaps."

Seiji started to bring their speed back down, taking a couple wide circuits of the parking lot while doing so. Shuu really really didn't want to go back to sitting in a parked car hitting the pedals with his feet. They were finally going fast, putting this car to use. "Hey, show me more, take us out somewhere and show me other things. You know I'll learn better if I see it."

There was a tiny noise in the back of Seiji's throat that Shuu could barely hear over the powerful engine of the racing car. He watched the other man ponder over the request, debate in that one lone eye. _'Ya know isn't it dangerous to drive with one eye covered?'_ Well, the guy was still alive so far. But Shuu shook that notion off when he started to notice it. It was very subtle, but maybe it was in the way Seiji's hands held the steering wheel, maybe in the posture of his body. The former possessor of the Kourin armor _wanted_ to go for this drive. "C'mon man… take a page from my book… don't think… do it."

Seiji hesitated for a moment, before a smile pulled across his lips, and he turned the car towards the driveway, taking them out into the streets. Shuu grinned and tried to get more comfortable again, glancing about as the blond silently started to drive them somewhere. No doubt some place where they could go speeding and avoid notice.

"They said I'm not allowed to train you on the course for that night, but I know someplace similar."

"Now you are talking!"

"You're not driving tonight, you're watching."

"Shit."

Still, even though he cursed, Shuu wasn't too mad about that. He meant it, getting to actually watch Seiji driving was going to be a big help to learning what to do. He knew he wouldn't be able to move his bigger feet and heavier legs the way Seiji did for certain, but it wasn't about copying the other. Watching Seiji do it would give him something more tangible to visualize when he needed to do it himself. It'd give him something to shape and mold in his mind that was better than words. Actions over words, always.

The sky around them got darker as buildings and other cars started to drop away. Shuu frowned, was he going to be able to see the blonde's feet at all?

"I think there should be a flashlight in the glove box… take a look…"

Shuu did, and sure enough there was a small emergency flashlight in there. This was good. They were going to be speeding… they didn't need to make it worse by turning the interior lights on in the car. Shuu flicked it on and pointed the flashlight at Seiji's feet, feeling like a silly little kid for a moment. The blond made a couple turns to take them onto another street, and took in a deep breath. Shuu chanced a glance up at the guy's face, and noticed that the blond was smiling; something in his eyes that Shuu actually didn't think he'd seen before. Seiji looked a little… reckless… purposely reckless.

"Here we go…"

The former swordsman's foot pressed down further on the gas, and the engine grew louder as the car started to surge forward. The first two turns they took, Shuu wasn't impressed. The car seemed to handle fine, but Seiji had cut their speeds down. It didn't seem like drifting should have, not that Shuu really knew how it should feel. But he thought it'd feel cooler than the first two turns had. Seiji took another one, and after they' driven straight for a bit and started accelerating Shuu heard the blond mutter something.

"What was that man?"

"I said I've got it… had to learn Bunpei's car… and the effect of your weight on it…"

"Hey!"

"Better watch! Clutch-kick drift…" Seiji's foot floored the clutch, his hand downshifting the car as they hit up the turn, the release of the clutch breaking the traction on the back wheels of the car. Shuu braced himself a bit as the car went through the turn, having watched Seiji's feet like he was supposed to. He hadn't caught the shifting hand motions as well, focused on the feet like he had been, but Seiji repeated the same drift a couple of times for him. "Got it? That's a very very basic technique. If nothing else, you'll stick to that one and maybe a couple of others in your race."

"Ok… so show me more…"

Seiji didn't seem to need to be coerced into driving more, and Shuu could clearly tell that the blond really liked to do this. He probably hadn't just raced as a kid as an act of rebellion… Seiji honestly seemed to really like driving this fast. _'But he's still got that weird look in his eye… doesn't seem right.'_ They had to double back a couple of times to avoid coming out onto any of the more crowded streets, and occasionally they'd pull over to let some normal traffic snake its way by. Every time Seiji did something he gave Shuu a tiny explanation of it, sometimes just mentioning the primary focus of the technique, other times only the name. He showed him the difference between clutch and brake based moves, and showed him situational ones like jump drifts and dirt-drop drifts. He showed him ones he could initiate starting on the straightaway rather than a turn, and every so often if Shuu remembered to ask he'd say why he was using one technique over another on any given turn.

It honestly seemed like they could have driven all night, but you couldn't push a car like that and not burn through your gas pretty quickly. Seiji let out a slightly annoyed sigh when he noticed the dipping gauge. "That's all for today… we're going to need to take the car to Takeshi, let him do some maintenance on it before we let you drive…"

"Seriously? Just after that?"

"Cars really aren't made for drifting Shuu. Besides, there are some types of races where pit crews keep more than one engine on hand, because it's so common to blow it…"

"What?"

"Mmmhmm… in America… 'funny cars' I think…"

"What a waste."

"I suppose…" There was a little bit of an edge there that told Shuu that Seiji didn't really think it was silly or anything like that. _'Yeah… I'm just not a car racing guy.'_ But he wasn't going to argue with Seiji on the matter of letting Takeshi look at the car. He really only had one concern.

"Damn, so that means I can't try this stuff out tomorrow night. Too bad."

"Don't be in such a rush. Besides… I want to watch you parked again to see if this really helped."

There was that authoritative tone, and Shuu could understand why Seiji could potentially be a good teacher. His tone didn't really leave you a lot of room to argue with him. Even if you wanted to. They headed for a gas station and filled the tank back up, before heading back to Shuu's again. It was already well into the morning hours of the middle of the night. Shuu was pretty tired, and knew Seiji had to be too. Still, the blond started to head for his car.

"Hey… come on man, there's only like… four hours before we gotta get up for work anyway. Why don't you just crash here tonight? There's no way we can piss each other off."

Seiji hesitated. Yes… they absolutely _could_ still piss each other off in four hours that they were supposed to spend sleeping. But, Seiji seemed to want to pretend that things would be ok, too. He followed him up the stairs, and inside.

-

"Seriously, what the fuck is your deal!"

Ok, so if they stopped shouting at each other right now, they could get two hours of sleep. Maybe. Hell, Shuu didn't know at this point. He'd reached that strange sleep deprived state of the morning where you began to doubt that anything was real. The waking hours seemed to feel like a dream, your mind and body no doubt wishing you were actually sleeping rather than depriving it of the precious recharge time it needed. At least they'd only thrown a couple punches… and Seiji had only done one kick to Shuu. It was shaping up to be one of their more civil arguments, although the things both of them were saying were starting to make less and less sense. They probably both knew somewhere deep inside that just going to sleep would have been the best answer, but when tempers flared judgment flew out the window.

Shuu watched Seiji rake a hand through his hair. Somehow, it seemed like Shuu was on the attacking end of this argument that had started over such a simple question. 'What was with that reckless look you have while driving?' The minute Shuu had asked it, Seiji had started to get defensive, saying he didn't drive recklessly, saying he was in total control of the car. Shuu honestly couldn't argue that since he hadn't been in the car with any other drifters. Seiji's driving had seemed fine to him. But it hadn't been the driving Shuu was talking about… just the look. Apparently, Seiji took great offense to this.

"I don't have a problem, you do! You complain about me always trying to get in your head, and then you start doing it? Just stop Shuu, because you know what, you aren't any good at it."

"I'm just askin' man, why are you getting so mad?"

"I'm not mad."

"Is that why you punched me?" They were just going round and round right now. They were getting nowhere. Both were frustrated… but probably wanted to stop… but they weren't. Maybe it was pride or something. Shuu could only speak for himself, of course, and he didn't have an answer. "Let's just drop it, alright? Sorry I insulted you mister always-in-control-of-everything. Ok? Yeah, I get it. Nothing the great Date Seiji does is ever reckless or uncontrolled or stupid like me. I've got it!"

"Shuu!" Seiji shouted his name, but oddly whatever else the blond wanted to say just didn't come out. Was he tongue tied? If Shuu hadn't been feeling so mad right now he would have found a tongue tied Seiji funny. If he hadn't been so mad he might have noticed the weird look the blond had. But instead Shuu just stomped off into his room. He'd had enough of this. He was going to get at least those two hours of sleep in before he had to go into work. His boss had already talked to him about not letting his personal life interfere with work. Everyone had noticed Shuu was getting new bruises now and then from the fights he was having with Seiji. She he pulled his door shut for now and collapsed down onto his blanket. Why was this so damn hard?

He could actually hear the blond moving about in the other room, and at first he thought the guy was just going to take off, drive away or something. But when he heard occasional mutters coming from the other room, his face turned into a scowl. Was Seiji talking to himself? The guy did that? He listened a bit, but he couldn't really make out too many words. He figured if he got up and moved closer to the wall Seiji would just shut up, so he didn't bother. Besides, if he got up and heard Seiji more clearly… and the blond said something that pissed him off? Then he really wouldn't even get a nap before work. The only conclusion that Shuu's sleep deprived mind really came up with, as he tried to drift off to sleep for those few tiny hours… was that Seiji was seriously slipping up if he did something like talk out loud to himself now. _'I bet he'd just get angry if I mentioned it to him…'_ Shuu sort of paused that train of thought. Maybe he should ask about that.

If he could remember to next time they were both awake and not exhausted.


	11. Dinner Time

**Author's Note:**

Hey! Look! It didn't take me two months to write the next chapter... heck, not even 1 month passed! I'm very happy.

But anyhow... finally Seiji does some explaining. Hopefully I haven't totally destroyed his character here!

Next chapter I'll either finally write up Shuu's race against Katsu OR I could do a small chapter of Shuu and Seiji being the doing driving practice and being the 'Odd Couple'. I haven't decided yet, so if you have an opinion either way, leave me a review! I'll decide on my own otherwise.

But for now, enjoy!

* * *

"Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously. I think it might be good."

"I'm not so sure Lin… I mean… it seems sort of…"

"If you say girly I'm going to be mad!" Lin gave a short laugh, though. Shuu grinned back, feeling a bit better after spending his lunch break talking to the sous chef. Honestly, he'd been a bit lost. After that night where Seiji had driven… after that time when he'd heard the blond talking to himself in the other room, Shuu had started to sort of worry. Not at first, but it'd started to bug him more and more. Seiji was always so serious and in control… and while Shuu knew that the blond had a lighter side as well… heck, even when they'd gone after Arago he couldn't remember Seiji ever talking to himself. Going to meditate under a waterfall, yeah, that was Kourin's style, but this? Talking to himself in a darkened room before dawn? Not caring if someone could hear him? It was wrong, and Shuu didn't know how to make it right. It was hard enough for Shuu to even convince himself that he _should_ make it right. After all… this was all putting a large strain on him as well! But in the end Shuu just couldn't ignore a friend if they were in need. Plus, he wasn't completely innocent in any of this. You didn't just walk away from your mistakes. His virtue, the one bound to his armor, wouldn't let him do something so unjust.

But, as he wasn't exactly the master at making nice with Seiji, he'd asked Lin for her advice. Of course, last time she'd been a bit harsh on Seiji, but Shuu had revealed a little bit more of the situation. Not enough to mention the armors or anything else like that. Shuu remembered New York, he remembered that an outsider's life could always be at risk when becoming involved with the armors. Even Jun and Nasutei, they were always at risk. So he'd kept that from Lin, but started to talk more about Seiji's problem, and about how Shuu was sort of caught up in it. Lin had been sympathetic to both of them, and she seemed happy to try and help however she could. Shuu had explained that in the three days since the night of their last big argument, things had become even tenser between the two. Seiji still came to give him lessons, as the race was quickly approaching. However, it was nothing more than the blond silently watching Shuu as he practiced his footwork on the car pedals, Seiji speaking only if he had to.

"Listen, you two need to find something that will help you to sit down and just talk… and what better way to do it than this? I know you can do it, and if he has the manners you say he does, then there's no way he'll refuse it. Is he meeting you for the driving instruction tonight?"

"I… I think so. Maybe."

"Call him… make sure."

Shuu groaned, and Lin flashed him a smile. It was exactly the sort of smile that had made him want to go out with her in the first place. Of course, now she'd begun to feel more like his sister, but the smile was still very pretty on her. He gave her a nod. "Ok, I'll go call him."

"Good." Lin got up, their break was almost over and it was clear she was going to give Shuu the privacy he needed to make the call. She gave him a nod and an encouraging smile, mouthing 'good luck' to him. She seemed genuine, that she really wanted things to go well tonight, and that helped make a bit of weight feel like it was removed from his shoulders. If he thought about it, he'd been feeling like he wanted to crumble a bit lately, too. It was so much up and down between the two of them. Shuu just wasn't made for this, rocks weren't supposed to bounce! But, he flipped open his cell phone, and dialed up Seiji. _'I hope I don't get him in trouble… getting a personal call at work. He might not even answer…'_ He was just about to give up when suddenly the blond picked up. His voice was hushed and very hurried.

"Hello… Shuu? Is something wrong?" It caught Shuu a bit off guard that Seiji would ask something like that right away, but Kongo assumed the other was just being polite. Understanding that the blond probably didn't have time to talk, he tried to make this quick.

"No, nothing wrong. Are you coming by tonight?"

"Yes, I can."

"Good… come straight over ok? There's something I wanna do…"

"… alright. I'll come directly after work." The two hung up and Shuu let out a breath. Ok… so the blond had agreed. Now… now all Shuu had to do… was make sure he got everything together on time.

-

He heard Seiji open the door, using the key he'd temporarily given him, and glanced up at the clock above him. _'Wow… perfect timing.'_ He could hear Seiji shut the door, no doubt slipping off his shoes and hanging up his coat before entering in further. Shuu quickly grabbed the last piece of what he'd been working on, and headed for his table. When he got there, he saw Seiji standing there, looking tired yet vaguely surprised by what was laid out on the table before him. Shuu put down the final dish, pulling off an oven mitt and grinning wide at the blond.

"Ta dah! Dinner is served." Seiji raised his eyebrow at Shuu, and without being able to see the other side, it was a little tricky to know just what sort of gesture that was. But then the blond seemed to smile, a slight twinkle of amusement in his blue-amethyst eye.

"Is this… why you wanted me to come straight here?"

"Yep yep! Have a seat, come on."

Seiji hesitated, looking at the food that was laid out before him. It was funny, but even though he knew Shuu worked at a restaurant, the blond hadn't really thought of Shuu as a _cook_ until seeing the wonderful meal set out for him. Politely the blond took a moment to wash his hands off, before sitting down with Shuu at the table.

"Thank you for the meal," he offered quietly, and Shuu just grinned.

"Hey hey, forget about it. Just tell me what you think!" Shuu had actually spent a lot of time trying to remember just what sort of foods Seiji liked. Even if they'd been very infrequently living together for a bit now, they'd mostly been taking care of themselves when it came to meals. Shuu hadn't been paying attention to what Seiji had been eating at all. But one thing, just one thing, had popped out in his mind. Pumpkins. So he'd made sure those were on the menu. Watching as the blond ate (Shuu of course eating as well!), he was inwardly pleased to see that the blond really did seem to like the pumpkins a lot. _'Ok… so I still think Lin's idea was a bit girly, but well, this is nice. We're not yelling at each other.'_ If things kept going well tonight, Shuu was definitely going to have to do something to thank Lin.

They exchanged some polite conversation over dinner, and Shuu felt really proud when Seiji complimented him on the dinner and seemed to take an actual interest in the restaurant. It was as if somehow he'd just proven himself as a legitimate cook in the eyes of the blond. It was a little strange talking about his work with the blond, considering that for Shuu it was mostly just something he did while trying to forget the armors. Still, Seiji seemed to think it was great.

"You show a lot of talent for it Shuu… I think you should take it more seriously."

"Eh… maybe… I guess I could."

"I'm certain you could."

Shuu shrugged his shoulders for a minute, taking another bite of food and swallowing it down. "Still, there are some great chefs above me where I work, and I don't think any of them are going to retire soon. If I want to move up, I'd probably have to start at another restaurant."

Seiji nodded, and his eyes grew a bit thoughtful. "What about your uncle Chin? His restaurant?"

"What? Go all the way back to New York? No way…" Shuu locked eyes with Seiji for a minute, and had to remind himself that this night wasn't for fighting. He was supposed to get them to relax, get some good food in their bellies, and feel better. He looked down at the table again. "If I did that I'd be even farther away. I'd really never see any of you if I went there." He paused. New York. He was amazed Seiji would even try to talk about that city casually. New York… Little Tokyo in Los Angeles… they were places he wouldn't want to see ever again if he were Seiji. There was a slight gap of silence between the two of them for a moment, before Seiji rose from his seat slowly. He had a smile on his face, even if his eyes felt tired to Shuu.

"Here, let me clean up…"

"Ah, no man, I've got it…"

"Please… you cooked, allow me. I promise not to run away right after."

Shuu's mouth dropped open, and Seiji gave a tiny chuckle. "Fine! It's not like I was worried about that!" He shook his head at the blond, but let the other do as he wished to. _'Well, I guess since he's staying here he should do some of the housework, too!'_ It gave Shuu a small chance to rest and stretch his body. He'd had to rush to the market and home to get this dinner prepared in time, so it was nice to have a little moment to relax. He knew, with the way they were, that he should get in any relaxation while he could. So he listened quietly while Seiji washed the dishes, almost getting lulled to sleep by the sound of the dishes gently tapping against each other while the blond worked. He didn't even notice when the washing sounds stopped.

"Why do I get the feeling you won't be any good for driving practice tonight?" Shuu snapped to attention, staring at the blond who was standing in front of him with his arms crossed, a slight smirk on his face. Shuu sort of tried to sit up straight real fast, and Seiji's smirk grew just a little. "Don't worry about it Shuu, we can practice tomorrow. Thank you very much for the meal, it was…"

"Wait a minute!" Shuu cut him off as he finally got up out of his chair. Seiji looked a bit upset to be cut off like that, but didn't snap back or anything. Shuu walked over and reached out, putting a hand on Seiji's shoulder. The blond watched him, no doubt trying to discern just what it was Shuu was up to. "Hey… look… come on… let's just… talk for a bit, huh?"

"Talk? Shuu, are you feeling alright?" It was a simple tease, but there was also suspicion in Seiji's eye now. Shuu took a deep breath, scratching at his hair with his free hand.

"I know, I know, this isn't like me right? But I mean… come on Seiji. We've got… we've gotta work this out. Not because of any stupid bets, ok? Tonight… tonight let's forget about all the bets. Forget the stupid race, and forget that I want the armor back." Seiji didn't say anything, just remained in place, and Shuu took that as a sign to keep going. "Look… armor or no armor… I'd like to think we were friends… are still friends. Armor or no armor… we gotta work out whatever the heck is wrong with us. Right? Come on… we're buddies, right?"

It was a bit unnerving, putting himself out there like that. It wasn't that Shuu wasn't used to saying what he felt and what he thought people should do. He liked action, and he didn't back down from things. He was honest to a fault some would say, too simple in philosophy to ever be a good liar. But that was fine with him, his directness and bluntness were what helped to make him who he was. But… asking Seiji to do this with him was a bit different. It was asking to be put in a situation that he knew he wasn't very good at handling. Still… even if Seiji hadn't been able to be there for Shuu back when Katsu had antagonized him… Shuu wanted to be here for Seiji. The light could be fickle. Light could dim or be reflected or bent this way or that by the world… but stone? Stones weren't so easy to manipulate. He was steady… and maybe that's why he just hadn't gotten over everything. _'But maybe that's ok. Maybe I wasn't supposed to. Maybe the guys need me to be the same old guy.'_

"You're right…" Seiji finally agreed, and Shuu wanted to punch his fist in the air at the small victory. This was really working! The blond looked away, his hair obscuring most of his face from Shuu. "This talk is probably overdue…"

"Way overdue if you ask me man… now come on. Let's go sit somewhere comfortable. And hey… no breaking my furniture if things go bad!" He was trying to keep this light. He did not want to argue tonight. Even he was starting to drag a bit from all the bruises they'd been giving each other. He was in no hurry to get some more. The two took seats in Shuu's sitting room, the tv left off. An awkward silence seemed to settle down on top of them, though. Seiji sat, serenely looking down at his hands in his lap. Shuu really observed the blond, and for the first time since their reunion, the thought occurred to him that Seiji looked… older. Not like an old man, but there was something to his face, his posture, that was showing a bit of age to it. Oh Seiji was still far away from being an old man, and he could still fight real well. Shuu knew that first hand. But staring at Seiji, Shuu really became aware of how much time had passed. They weren't teens now. They were adults. Adults who didn't know what to do now. Seiji didn't seem to know where to start with this, and Shuu didn't have the tact to be sure he wouldn't say something offensive. Still, Seiji didn't look like he was going to just open up and start confessing whatever was on his mind, so Shuu knew he'd have to plunge in. Throw the first punch, if you wanted to think of it that way.

"Would you come visit me… if I went to work for my uncle in New York?" Shuu decided to pick at the biggest problem he could think of first. If he was wrong then he was wrong, but the fact that Seiji had brought it up earlier had been a little weird. It had meant that it'd been on the blonde's mind, right? Well, Shuu never claimed to be perfect at reading people. The amount of time it took Seiji to construct an answer made Shuu feel he was definitely on the right track though. That one unhidden eye closed, and Shuu almost felt he was going to go crazy from the anticipation.

"You sure don't ask the easy things first, do you?" Seiji's voice was chiding, a little strained again, but you could tell he was working to keep the situation calm as well. A cynical laugh escaped him. "You couldn't have simply asked me about the driving again? Something like that?"

"I could have… but… I don't think that's the big problem. Ya know? I mean… I think Katsu and those guys are a bunch of jerks but… no way would I lose against them. I know ya gotta like me more."

Seiji chuckled. "Of course I do." The laugh was soft and subdued, but Shuu could feel the sincerity in the words. But he could still hear the strain that Seiji was feeling.

"But… I know, it'd be tough right? Going back to New York. I'd get it… if ya didn't want to go back there. Back to where you were tortured like that."

"That's not it," Seiji began, and Shuu tilted his head to the side.

"No?"

"No. Not exactly." Seiji's eyes remained closed, and Shuu wondered why he was keeping himself in the dark like that. Something about the way the blond was breathing tipped Shuu of that he was struggling with something. Struggling to put to words whatever was on his mind. Shuu balled his hands into fists in his lap, wishing he could say something to make it easier on the guy. "Do you remember our last fight?"

"Uh… well yeah."

"You were… talking about being reckless… or me always being in control."

"Yeah… I remember."

Seiji's lips formed a hard tight line. He opened his eyes, only one could be seen but Shuu felt the intensity behind the gaze. "New York… I lost my ability to control anything when I went to New York."

"What? No… hey you can't just…"

"Please… listen…" Seiji's gaze didn't waver, and Shuu stopped his protests for now. He gave the blond a nod, letting him continue. Letting him get this off his chest. Now he was starting to wonder… did he talk about any of this after New York? He hadn't talked to Shuu about it… but he had to have gone to Touma at least, right? Now Shuu wasn't so sure. "When we were fighting Arago… I know we all had our moments when we doubted the armor. When we questioned if it was evil, if it had a purpose, if it would turn us into dark warriors like the Masho. I had come to terms with the armor… I'd… learned that it was my heart that would decide how the power of the armor would be. I had stopped fearing that it would change me."

The two could understand each other perfectly in this. There were only five people in the world who could speak of such things and need no real explanations.

"But then I failed, Shuu. That was when I learned that the control I thought I had over things was all an illusion. I lost control of my senses and let the armor be used by Shikaisen. I let the amor _murder_ people Shuu. A power I was supposed to guard and guide… the most important duty I have ever been given… and I failed. I didn't kill any enemies… I was killing regular… normal… people!" Shuu could hear the vehemence in those words, even if Seiji was still fighting to keep his voice steady. But Shuu shook his head.

"No… _you_ didn't kill anyone… it was that demon sorcerer! He was the one doing it! He was cont-…" Shuu trailed off, not finishing his word. _'Controlling… ah man.'_ Shuu was starting to see what Seiji meant. "You can't be like that Seiji… that really wasn't your fault."

Seiji shook his head. "I have told myself that… but I simply cannot overlook this. It's still my responsibility. I was still the one, out of everyone, who should have been able to make certain Kourin never committed such sins. They used me… and they gained power to kill. Power to injure all of you even! It made me question everything Shuu… it really did. If I couldn't control the armor… then… what could I really control? It all started to seem too… tiring." The blond finally dropped his gaze, and Shuu didn't know what to say. But it seemed that now that Seiji was talking… finally talking about this, Shuu didn't need to say a lot.

"It made me think of my grandfather a lot… and think of my virtue. Rei… grace." Seiji's gaze seemed sort of empty, as if he was staring at something miles away. "My grandfather worked so hard to 'tame' me when I was younger… to keep in check my temper and my wilder side. I don't know… I almost feel like everything is simply a game of control. Control myself, control the armor. It's why in a way I envy you. No one thinks twice if you just… get angry. If you just… let loose. But I cannot. It's expected of me that I don't."

Shuu frowned a bit, leaning towards Seiji. "Hey… it's ok ya know… if ya let loose sometimes. _No one_ is in control all the time, you've gotta balance it all out, ya know? But no one can be in control all the time… ya know that."

Seiji nodded, and he let his gaze shift back up to Shuu. "Yes, I do. But I'm… I'm afraid of it Shuu. There are times when I feel I need to let go… really push myself and just give something my all. Take myself to the limits and break free. But… it doesn't feel safe. What if I pick the wrong time?"

Shuu scratched at his head. He thought he really got it now. The strain Seiji was feeling, the reason that he was driving in street races. _'He's exhausted from constantly trying to keep control… but he's so worried something like New York will happen again. He needs control but he wants to lose it too… just for a bit at least.'_ Yeah, he was getting it. "So that's what's behind the racing. You stay in control all the time... except when you go out with them. It's your planned 'go wild time' huh?" Seiji nodded and Shuu leaned back again, a bit overwhelmed for a moment. It'd take his mind a little while to get through all of this, to figure it out. But Seiji was giving him the time.

"So Seiji… were you happy, then? Giving up the armor? Really?"

"In a way… yes. I was relieved. I thought at the time… I would finally relax. I didn't have to control it anymore… so it… wasn't my responsibility anymore."

"But you miss it now?"

"Not the armor… no. But other parts of the past, yes." Shuu let out a long sigh, staring up at his ceiling. He found it odd how what they'd been feeling all these years was similar but different. They both missed the old days, but while Shuu was craving having that responsibility back, Seiji didn't seem to. Shuu almost welcomed the pressure, and the blond had lost a bit of his confidence over it. _'He hid it well… he sure fought hard when we went to Africa.'_

"So, that's why you let Katsu push you around like that? Because you don't want to be in control? Sorry man… but I gotta say… that's pretty stupid. If you're gonna give up control, you should be smart about it."

Seiji looked rather cross with him. "Is this where you're going to tell me to just let you make the decisions from now on?"

"No… I don't wanna have to think for anyone but myself. That's enough for me. But I mean hey, I'd be better than Katsu, right? So go ahead, let me be the boss for a bit."

"Shuu… I don't want to give up control completely you know…"

"Yeah yeah… I know. You wanna be able to lose control… but on your terms, right? Haha… man, you're just a big contradiction."

"Gee… thanks."

Shuu laughed a little, and moved so he could sit next to Seiji. He nudged him with his elbow. "Hey… but listen man. You don't have to hide stuff from me, ya know? I was there when you lost control of Kourin… I know what happened… and guess what man? I'm still on your side, right? So… cut me some slack… ok? You're making this a big problem… that's what happens when you over think stuff!" He tapped his own head, as if to say that his way of just reacting to things was better. Seiji gave a slightly amused sigh, but Shuu could see that he was feeling relieved.

"I suppose you're right. Who would have known it was possible? Getting counseling from _you._"

"Hey!" Shuu playfully punched Seiji on the arm, but there wasn't anything harsh behind it. He laughed a little too.

"Shuu?"

"Yeah?"

"I truly am sorry. That I didn't say anything with Katsu."

"Ok ok… you've apologized before… seriously, I don't want to think about that anymore, ok? Let's just forget that shit, and move on. I seriously wanna kick his ass in the race, and you better help me do it!"

Seiji smirked. "That might be out of my control, you know…"

"I'm gonna blame you if I lose ya know."

"Hey now…"

"Yep, if I lose it's all your fault Seiji."

"No, it'll be because you're clumsy with your feet."

"Hey!" The two actually seemed to playfully bicker for a bit, as if they'd reverted back to their younger selves. It was friendly but chastising, and there was even a little bit of rough housing that was done as well. But it felt good, and Shuu was happy he finally knew what'd been bothering Seiji all this time.

"Seriously though Seiji… you don't have to be worried. We helped ya before, and I don't turn my back on my friends. So… if you ever slip up… I'll be there to kick your ass back into line. Instant control."

The blond looked amused by the statement, as if he wasn't really thrilled to have Shuu 'watching over him' like this. "I really never should have said any of this to you."

"Too late man."

"Yes… too late."

Shuu looked at the clock. It was getting late. Getting very dark.

"So, as a reward for me playing psychiatrist tonight… _and_ cooking you the best dinner ever… can I _please_ finally drive the car tonight?"

Seiji looked at him critically, appraising him, when finally his composure set and returned again. He wasn't looking as strained or tired as he'd been earlier, but he also looked like he was done being a little bit goofy. He looked like he had some of his confidence back again, he felt more grounded. His eye didn't seem so dim. He looked like… well, Seiji. This was what he was supposed to look like. Calm and collected… but with all that talent bundled up underneath, always wanting out. The blond nodded his head.

"Alright. You can drive."


	12. Race Night

**Author's Note:**

Hmm... not much to say (yet). I _could_ have been really mean and ended this chapter on a cliffhanger at a certain point (two points actually), but I'm nice so I didn't. So... enjoy!

* * *

Race night… it was _finally_ here. The month seemed to have flown by, even if it'd been extremely rocky. But the past few nights had been better. A lot better. Seiji seemed to really be coming back to himself. Shuu… however… had been doing a good job of ignoring his own problems. But he didn't want to think about it. He had the race to do. The race would be good enough to distract him from his dissatisfaction with leading a normal life. The entire day through work he'd had the race on his mind, feeling almost equal parts excited and angry to have to even look at Katsu again. That guy really pissed him off a lot, and even if the chances were slim, Shuu was really hoping to beat the guy at the race. If Shuu had gleaned anything from the way Seiji reacted when he was behind the wheel… well… maybe Shuu wasn't the best of drivers. _'I know Seiji was trying to hide that my driving made him nervous, but I could tell.'_ You didn't go through a high combat past like they did and not learn to read the tiny hints in someone's body. Of course, maybe he should have paid more attention to his driving than Seiji.

"Shuu? Please tell me you're listening to me…"

"Huh? Oh yeah, yeah, sure am." He looked over to Seiji briefly with a smile, driving the two of them over to the race starting location. The mountain road… no way would Shuu be beat there, right? They were heading over together, and Seiji was letting Shuu drive to keep him sort of accustomed to being behind the wheel. Seiji was trying to give him tips about the route that Shuu would be racing along, but Shuu knew that once he was driving he'd forget that on the fifth turn there was a small curb he could use or anything else like that. _'I'll just feel it like always.'_ He trusted his body, his warrior's instincts, to make this race a success for him. He heard the blond give a short sigh.

"You aren't even listening, are you?"

"Come on man… you know that I'll be fine. I've got this!"

Seiji gave out a short little chuckle. "I'm just trying to make sure you don't get hurt out there. So remember… the third time you hit a downgrade, you need to…"

"I got it I got it! Seiji really… some people tease Shin about being a bit of a worrier, but I'm starting to think you're worse."

"Hmph, excuse me for not wanting to see you go plunging off a cliff." The mild sarcasm in Seiji's voice made Shuu laugh, and it felt good that neither of them was really upset with each other. In a weird way, this almost felt like the past when they'd been in the Jeep with Nasutei, driving off to find their friends. Only this time Shuu was driving, and this time they didn't have a very worthy opponent looming in the distance. Not in Shuu's opinion. "Just remember Shuu… Katsu hasn't lost against any of us… and he isn't going to want to now. Not against an outsider."

"Right. What, you don't think he'll cheat or somethin' do ya?" Seiji was quiet a bit longer than the warrior of stone would have liked. "Is that how he beat you?"

"… I haven't seen him cheat. I was beaten, well… because I was. But all the same, keep your eyes open, alright?"

"Ok." For Seiji to imply someone _might_ cheat, well, Shuu knew that it had to be a very high chance. Seiji was the sort who would shoulder the burden of a loss or dishonor to keep someone from ruining themselves. He'd done something similar in the past with kendo, though at the moment Shuu wasn't going to bother remembering the exact details. All this meant to him at the moment was that Seiji _knew_ Katsu was planning to win tonight, one way or another. _'Asshole… I'll show him what happens when he goes up against the might Kongo!'_

Shuu was watching the road, but for a minute he thought he felt Seiji's stare on him. It was as if the blond had just read his mind, which he knew Seiji couldn't do. Still, sometimes it felt like it. "Remember, Shuu… there are times you need to be cautious."

"I know I know… don't just charge like I always do." Still, he knew he couldn't help it, and Seiji knew he couldn't either. It was Shuu's way. He wasn't going to play cautious cat and mouse… he'd tackle this race head on. He glanced at Seiji, and Seiji smirked at him.

"At least try to remember some of the techniques I taught you. Some of it must have sunk in…"

"To my thick skull? Give me a break." The two laughed and Seiji told Shuu where their next turn was. Shuu could feel his blood pumping fast, and he was feeling good. This wasn't as good as having the armors back and a real battle to fight, but it was a little taste of what he hoped to reclaim when the time of their bet was ended. He guessed he could see why Seiji used it as a substitute, but the real thing would feel so much better when he got it back.

-

"Ha… Hahaha… you actually showed up?" It seemed the minute Shuu got out of the car, Katsu was parading around with his cronies, trying to aggravate him. Shuu crossed his arms over his chest and stood tall, feeling annoyed with the guy but not rising to the bait. Not right now. Seiji got out of the passenger's side of the car and leveled his own gaze at Katsu. The leader of the underground racers gave a snort at the blond. "And you… I don't know why you bother with this guy. Just a waste of time ya know?"

"Not in my opinion," Seiji replied evenly and without missing a beat. It wasn't even a big gesture, but Shuu felt good seeing that tonight, Seiji was really on his side. No hesitation to it.

"Hmph, whatever, I heard you already told Takeshi to find a new driver. You weren't that good anyway."

Shuu looked to Seiji. _'He did? He really listened to me to stop driving?'_ Seiji caught his gaze and gave him a nod, before taking a few steps away from the car. Seiji wouldn't be in it with him, Shuu would be driving solo of course. The route itself was easy to remember, it was just the specifics of each turn that he didn't know too well. Walking up to Katsu, staring down at the punk who was both shorter and less muscled than him, Shuu narrowed his eyes. "How about we cut all this talk and get to driving, huh?"

"You wanna get beat that fast? Fine by me!" Katsu sounded cocky, but you could see that it intimidated him to have Shuu stand so close to him. The leader of the racers backed off and motioned at the car he'd be driving. "I had Takeshi look at it… hey man, you vouch that it's on the same level as the one Shuu will drive tonight?"

Takeshi stepped forward out of the crowd for just a moment. "Yeah, I looked it over, it's good." Shuu noticed the gaze that passed between Seiji and Takeshi, and Shuu trusted what the mechanic said. It seemed Seiji had been trying to make sure of things without Shuu knowing. The blond was giving him support in any way he could. Seiji was trying to watch his back this time. _'I've got this race.'_ Even if it wasn't the support of the other three guys, too... having Seiji on his side made him confident. People started to move, and Shuu turned to get back into his car. Seiji came around before Shuu shut the door, even Takeshi coming by to give one last check to the car, make sure airbags and such hadn't been outwardly tampered with. Shuu buckled up and gave Seiji a thumbs up.

"I'll be waiting at the finish line... don't take too long," Seiji half joked.

"Make sure to take a picture of my win," Shuu said back, and the two parted ways. Shuu shut the door and watched as people backed away, giving him time to drive up to the line. There was a scantily clad girl waiting at the line, holding up a cloth that'd serve as the flag. As the cars drove slowly into position, it was like a sea of people filling in behind them. People were shouting and cheering, and virtually everyone was cheering Katsu on, wanting him to beat Shuu. Shuu was the guy who'd come and insulted their precious racing, after all. Shuu took a moment to try and find Seiji in the crowd, and found him and Takeshi standing up front, some people half harassing them. Still, Seiji was looking at Shuu, and he gave him a nod. Shuu nodded back and turned his head to look over at Katsu in he car next to him. Katsu gave him a mocking sneer, jerking his thumb across his neck in a slitting motion, trying to intimidate Shuu. _'In your dreams buddy.'_ The cars were smooth in their idle, the powerful engines within just waiting for the chance to explode out into the race. The starter girl blew a kiss to Katsu and Shuu snorted at the favoritism.

He licked his lips and waited for it. Five... four... three... two... GO.

The girl brought down the cloth, everyone in the crowd shouted in excitement, and the two cars shot off, snapping off the starting line at tremendous speeds. It wasn't anything like charging into a battle... but all the same, Shuu found his determination soaring and adrenaline pumping.

-

Just like that first night when he'd chased after Seiji, the world seemed to fall behind Shuu in a darkened blur, any lights he passed stretching away in hazy trails. The most prominent landmark he had to use to keep on the twisting darkened roads was... unfortunately, Katsu's taillights. _'Damn it! How is he beating me out!'_ Shuu wasn't holding anything back. He had no fear of losing control (even if he had almost lost it through some of those corners), and he didn't fear a crash even if, realistically, he should. But no matter what he did, no matter how often he floored the gas, he couldn't get ahead of Katsu. On every turn he seemed to get pinched out or forced into a bad spot. It didn't help that the car was starting to make some rather bad sounding noises. Shuu's hand with shifting and his heavy and clumsy use of the drifting techniques was probably grinding some of the gears of the car. This car was definitely going to need a _lot_ of repair work done to it, probably replace some parts.

Even so, Shuu refused to be beaten. He'd drive the car into the ground if he had to, he just needed to find a way to get around Katsu. It wasn't that he couldn't read the other guy's movements. Oh Shuu could figure out an opponent. The problem was getting the car to do what he needed it to... and grudgingly Shuu was beginning to admit that it actually did take a small bit of skill to handle a car. Gripping the wheel tightly, Shuu eyed the corner they were approaching, and he depressed the clutch of the car, popping it out at the right moment to kick him into the drift. The clutch kick worked, and he grinned as the car started to drift around the corner like he wanted, catching up a little towards Katsu's car. Shuu was hoping for more straightaways, because at least then it was just a matter of gunning the gas and trying to find some way to get around Katsu. The guy was being a really tenacious driver, though, always moving and weaving just enough that Shuu would hit him if he tried to get around. It wasn't a case of Shuu not having the guts to try... there just was literally no way it could happen.

He didn't even realize that they were hitting up the third downgrade of the route, the race had been so intense that Shuu was thinking moment to moment, barely hanging on to the tips and tricks Seiji had taught him. The warning that Seiji had tried to give him about this particular spot wouldn't have helped him anyway... because Shuu noticed that Katsu seemed to be losing his lead, and the warrior of stone was hungry for the chance to get ahead. Shuu's car started to pull closer, and as he actually came up side by side with Katsu he flicked a glance over, trying to see him. _'The hell? Am I really getting ahead or is he pulling somethin'?'_ Katsu glanced over as if he wanted to gloat at Shuu, and it really made the former warrior mad. So the guy had let him catch up on purpose! His hands felt like they'd crush the steering wheel. He thought he saw Katsu laugh and look back at the road, but the panicked look that suddenly flashed over Katsu's face made Shuu quickly look ahead again as well. They were coming up on a turn, and in the road Shuu could see something that looked shiny and possibly slick.

"Damn!" He cursed, knowing why Seiji had been trying to warn him. This turn off the downgrade was sharp and blind, and even seeing the substance, at this speed it was nearly impossible to avoid it. Slamming on his brakes now would just send him out of control, and he had no chance of speeding around Katsu for a better angle to approach from. He grit his teeth and did what he could... namely trying to hit the slick spot head on. If he was going to crash... and it was seeming that was the only option, he needed to make the crash as controlled as possible. He didn't bother to watch as Katsu made it safely through the turn, the more experienced racer having been able to avoid the danger thanks to his better position. Shuu just felt his car hit the slick and the wheel start to jolt back and forth as speed and momentum fought against his attempts for control. Strong as his arms were, the force of the car around him couldn't be contained, and the horrible jolt as he went through a guard rail shook his body. He could see and heard bushes and trees hitting against the sides of the car as it plunged down the side of the mountain road, and as he tried to get the car to stop a couple of thoughts went through his mind. He was glad he hadn't run into any trees yet... and he was glad he'd gone off the road where there was a slope and not a cliff. The tires couldn't find traction in the dirt, however, and Shuu braced for the impact he knew would be coming any moment. When it hit everything went abruptly dark.

-

He knew he'd survived... because everywhere hurt. He didn't think there was a part of his body that wasn't aching as his head very slowly began to clear. For just a few minutes he was a bit muddled, knowing that he'd been in a car crash yet a part of his mind also telling him he needed to get up before he got attacked again. He blinked his eyes, trying to get some sort of sense of where he was. He could tell it was really dark, and as his mind cleared slowly he realized one of the headlights on the car had been busted out. He saw the deployed airbag in front of him... it'd already deflated back down. _'Wow... so an airbag and a seat belt really did save my life?'_ He guessed he was lucky that the car hadn't flipped over or exploded into flames. Turning his head to the left, his eyes widened. If he'd been in the passenger's seat... he wouldn't still be alive. There was a large spear of wood plunged into the other seat. The car had run down and over the road, and had hit upon a tree. Shuu could feel pressure on his legs from the way the front of the car was crushed up towards him. He tried to move them a bit and it hurt terribly. Still, he could feel them, so he knew he was lucky there. He stared at his body, and didn't see too much blood. _'I gotta get outta this car...'_ He pushed his shoulder against the car door after undoing his seat belt. He grunted when it didn't budge. _'Is something blocking it from outside?'_

He kept pushing on the door for a bit before he had to stop, letting his head fall back to rest against the headrest of the seat. _'Amazing... I survive a crash like that just to be trapped in the car? Not funny.'_ He vaguely wondered for a moment if Katsu had gotten out of the turn ok... and wondered if the guy would get help. Katsu was an ass and a punk... but he'd fess up and get help, right? Shuu could feel his body getting really cold, and he took a deep breath. He needed to stay awake, and figure out a way out of this car. If he'd had his undergear, then this crash would have been nothing! He grit his teeth, bitterly missing the armor even more. He pushed at the door again and again, but he could feel his strength waning the longer he sat trapped like this. His legs were feeling sort of strange now as well, from being trapped so long. He hit his fist against the steering wheel, and heard the horn honk. It was a pathetic little horn, not very loud, but it gave Shuu some hope. Why didn't he check if it worked sooner? He started to press the horn in intervals. _'I shouldn't have to wait for someone to rescue me!'_

He stopped honking the horn when he thought he heard it, the sound of car doors being shut somewhere above him, voices shouting in the night. He sighed and tried to relax. He didn't know how long he'd been stuck down here, but it was too long in his opinion. This feeling of helplessness was starting to aggravate all the old frustrations he'd been feeling up until now. But the thought that he wouldn't be stuck here like this if he'd had the armor orb was pressing into his mind. It was probably due to the accident, but it's what he was thinking of when he heard that familiar voice.

"Shuu!" He looked over and saw a circle of light coming towards him. _'Haha...'_ Of course the light came from a flashlight. Seiji was swiftly making his way down towards Shuu, skidding on the dirt but obviously more confident in his balance that the other people who were making their way down much more slowly. Shuu strained to see who it was, but it seemed like it was a bunch of the racing guys. _'Guess I gotta give em all a bit more credit.'_ Still, once Seiji got to the side of the car, Shuu didn't care about any of those guys. He watched Seiji shine the flashlight about a bit, obviously getting a look at whatever was keeping the door shut.

"How's it look?" He asked, and Seiji gave him a steady gaze in return as the blond set down the flashlight and started to tug at whatever it was. Shuu could hear something shifting, but he wasn't immediately freed.

"Not... bad..." the blond returned, and Shuu could hear the exertion Seiji was making as he talked. Whatever it was the blond was trying to move, it was obviously either too heavy or wedged real well. "How are you... are you bleeding? Is anything..."

"Nah... nah... I got real lucky. Don't think anything is broken, but my legs are pinned... starting to lose some of that feeling in em..." Seiji paused what he was doing, snatching up his flashlight and shining it into the car. He stared down at Shuu, and Shuu looked as well. "Damn... it ain't broken, but a leg shouldn't stay bent like that, huh?"

"Just hold on..." Seiji said, and again put down that flashlight, pulling while he waited for help from the others. Shuu gave a rather lackluster grin.

"Ya know... we shouldn't be struggling with something like this... seriously... a car... a tree...?" The two locked eyes... and it seemed like Seiji had something to say. But whatever it was, the blond didn't say it. Maybe Shuu was just expecting him to disagree, but he was glad the guy didn't. The other racers finally got there, and Shuu just let the subject drop as they all worked to get him out. This whole situation didn't sit well with him, but right now... he wasn't in a position to do anything but go along with it. He didn't see Katsu among the guys, but he hadn't expected to. As soon as they'd gotten him free, he was in a car being rushed to a hospital. Seiji was driving he realized, but the crash was taking its toll on him, and it was all he could do to stay awake.

"Shuu? Stay with me... stay awake..."

"Yeah yeah... I know..." He knew but it was getting real rough. He was actually starting to doubt he would when he heard Seiji start to just talk. The blond started to talk about their warrior days, retelling something Shuu had fought through. It was one of their first clashes, up against Shuten. Hearing the blond tell him this story was oddly comforting, and his desire to correct the blond here and there seemed to keep him awake until the hospital.

"Come on... let's make sure you're not bleeding internally..." Seiji was right there with him until the doctors finally took him back. Shuu stared at the bright sterile walls of the hospital and had to smirk. _'We never went to a hospital back then... I wonder what they would have thought.'_ But his thoughts were getting more and more scattered, and soon enough, in the hands of the medical staff, Shuu slipped off.

-

"Good morning..."

Shuu opened his eyes, a little surprised to hear the familiar voice. It was Seiji, standing rather calmly at his bedside. Shuu tried to sit up in the bed a little, feeling sore but not as sore as he thought he should. Seiji smirked at him.

"You're pumped full of pain killers... but I wouldn't test it."

"No wonder I feel so groggy... did the docs say if I'm good to go?"

Seiji took a seat. Shuu wasn't awake enough to look properly, but the blond was wearing the exact same thing he'd been wearing last night, and didn't look as though he'd slept. "They want to watch you for a full 24 hours... but... amazingly... you seem to have cheated death."

"Ha! If a demon couldn't kill me, no car will." Shuu grinned, feeling slightly indestructible, though that really might have been thanks to the meds. Seiji looked a little bit cross with him though, shaking his head.

"It could have... and you're not in great shape so don't act so cocky. You have a lot of major bruising, a significant sprain to your left leg, and..." the blond shook his head. "And I'm not going to give you a lecture. Not right now. You should call the restaurant, though. You might get to go home... but you won't be working."

"I feel fine."

"Thanks to the meds."

"No way!"

The blond pinched the bridge of his nose, but stood up. "Do you want me to contact your family? Or anyone else?"

"No... nah... I'm not dying so... no reason to worry them." He shook his head. "But, when I get released..."

"Yes, I'll be driving you back to your place." Shuu nodded, but then paused. If he wasn't allowed to go back to work right away, that meant he had to stay home? Seiji gave him a knowing smirk. "I have some vacation time I can use... to take care of a certain stone in my shoe." The blond feigned annoyance, but Shuu could see through it. The blond was glad he'd come out alright, and if Shuu had been in a different state of mind, he would have seen just how amazing it was that he'd come out of this mostly alright. He relaxed back in his hospital bed, and shut his eyes. _'Good... we have a lot to talk about. I'm going to win the bet... so having him around is best. I don't have as much time left as I used to.'_

* * *

**Another Author's Note:**

Another note? Sorry!

Anyhow... I'm just going to say right now that I knoooow it's amazing that Shuu survived a crash. But... amazingly... it happens to people sometimes. Pretty wow.

And yeah... I could have stretched out his hospital stay... but it seemed unnecessary to the story, so please forgive me. ;] I also didn't want to end on anything like a cliffhanger... because I don't like pressure to write fast.


	13. Not My Future

**Author's Note:**

I don't like when writing a chapter frustrates me! Makes the writing go so slow. I blame stone headed Shuu!

* * *

The first day Shuu spent at home and not the hospital had been alright. He was hurt and sore, but with the small prescription of pain medication they'd issued him he was feeling fine. So fine in fact that he'd decided he wasn't going to take any more of the pills. He hadn't taken pain meds when he was fighting Arago... why start for something like this? Seiji hadn't let him throw the pills away, and Shuu supposed that maybe he had a point. Still, the warrior of stone planned to resist taking anymore, prove to himself that he still had that fortitude inside him to deal with a little bit of pain. Seiji had been able to get the day off, and he'd hung around playing 'nursemaid', which had amused Shuu quite a bit. He'd commented that Seiji would make a _great_ butler or manservant, and that'd earned him a joking little rant about being a gracious patient. The blond had only left for a few hours that first day to cover something briefly at work, go to the store and visit the crash site.

- - -

The second day for Shuu at home had been decent, though he could already tell he wouldn't last the week of rest the doctor had prescribed. It was all pretty stupid, if you asked him, and overly cautious. Shuu was fine already aside from that leg injury not healing as quickly as he would have liked. The pain was still aggravating, and he actually hurt more that day since he no longer used the medications, but he dealt with it. Seiji left him alone longer that day, apparently returning to the crash site again and sniffing about. On one hand Shuu was happy to see his friend so diligently trying to figure out if Katsu had purposely sabotaged the race. On the other, he was mad that he wasn't able to be out there doing it himself. He didn't like having something like this done for him! Unfortunately Seiji seemed pretty adamant about Shuu following the doctor's orders and staying in, and Shuu knew his leg wasn't good enough for him to physically make Seiji let him out. So he had to bide his time.

- - -

The first thing that caught Shuu's attention as he woke up on the third day wasn't his alarm, and it wasn't any noise coming from out doors or from his neighbors. It was the sound of the shakuhachi that filtered in from the other room, the music almost making Shuu feel as if his waking was actually a dream. But the smell of food that began to make its way towards his nose couldn't be a dream, nor was the pain he felt while trying to rise from his bed. He uttered a few noises as he sat up, carefully keeping his weight away from his injured leg as much as possible. Oh he was fine to move about on his own mostly as long as he used a crutch… but the days were cold lately, and he simply found that in the mornings his body seemed to ache more and more than it would have in the past. When he was younger his crash injuries wouldn't have hurt so much, he was sure of it. But… not being a teen anymore, the little things started to add up. Carefully he edged himself up, reaching for the crutch that he hated using. It made him feel weak, and remember that he was weak now. He'd gotten trapped in a car just like anyone else. A sad fate for a warrior.

The music from the other room grew soft before it ceased altogether, and Shuu knew that Seiji probably knew he was awake and moving. _'Sharp as ever… hell… it's like he's getting back into form.'_ While he was still enjoying having his old comrade around to help him out, he was getting edgy. He wanted out of the house and his independence back. His old restlessness was returning full force. Maybe today he'd have to try and accomplish something. Making his way to the other room, opening up the small door, he saw Seiji had just put away the bamboo flute. "I'm sorry," Seiji said calmly as he rose from where he'd been seated on the floor. Something about the blond felt very... formal to Shuu today. Traditional. Serene. Was the guy finally getting back under control for good? "Did I wake you? I understand that not everyone enjoys the sound of the shakuhachi…"

"Don't worry about it, what's that smell?"

"Oh…" Seiji watched as Shuu moved to the table, and the warrior of stone actually appreciated that the blond wasn't fussing over him and trying to help him take a seat. He could tell Seiji was examining him, appraising him… but that was just the blonde's way. "I made you some breakfast, though I made it a bit too early. It's only an egg omelet."

Shuu had found, over these past few days where Seiji had been making his meals, that the former warrior of light was a competent cook… but clearly not the most creative. The food had all been good and certainly tasted fine, but Shuu wondered if the blond was making it taste boring on purpose. Or maybe it was Shuu's dissatisfaction over being trapped in his own home for a few days that was making everything seem sort of… dull.

"Thanks…" he made sure to reply. He was grateful after all, even if he was feeling a bit down. Seiji brought the food over to him, and for a moment Shuu wondered what the blond would have done if Shuu hadn't woken up when he did. Just let the food sit until he did? Eat it all himself? It was really just a passing thought, not one he dwelt on for long. There were more important things on his mind. He just… needed to get the conversation there. "So umm… this is good." The blond smirked as if seeing through Shuu's small talk, that spark in his eye annoyingly bright in Shuu's opinion. He could already feel that his mood wasn't going to be good today, which was a shame. A real shame.

"I'm glad you think so." That lone amethyst-blue eye watched Shuu for a while before Seiji initiated his own topic, preventing Shuu from steering the conversation. "Takeshi and I… we've spent a lot of time at the crash site… and we're both satisfied that Katsu didn't set up the crash. That curve is dangerous, and it looks like you just hit a bad run."

"Hmph…" Maybe Seiji and Takeshi were satisfied, but Shuu was not. That punk Katsu hadn't even stopped to tell everyone about the accident, so Seiji had informed him the other day. "Anyone seen that asshole yet?"

Seiji shook his head. "No… well… he's been seen, but he hasn't returned to race again, and he won't answer anyone's calls apparently."

"Coward," it just didn't sit right with Shuu. Even if Katsu really was innocent and hadn't done anything to the road… just leaving someone to maybe die? Because you were scared? No… no way. You didn't leave someone like that, and if Katsu was ever unlucky enough to come across Shuu… Shuu would teach him just how angry he was. The very slight tonal change Seiji's voice went through whenever he said Katsu's name told Shuu pretty clearly that the blond probably felt in a similar manner. _'I'm glad none of the guys were like Katsu back then… we never would have won if we'd abandoned each other.'_

"The insurance on the car should take care of the damages… it won't cover the modifications made to make it suitable for racing, but well… we're lucky they aren't making a fuss over that."

Shuu nodded, though he really didn't care about the car at all. Well, he cared about not paying for it, but beyond that Shuu never wanted to be in a racing car like that again. Just him and his old Jeep… that was the ticket. Busted radio and all. He'd be glad to put this whole racing experience behind him, glad Seiji was going to as well. Taking a breath, he decided that now was simply time. If he was going to be stuck in the house, he wasn't going to be the child here. No more talk about cars. "Seiji... we need to talk." There was a pause after Shuu said this, and those words felt a little weird coming from his lips. Didn't girls say that a lot when they wanted to break up with someone? But since he'd reunited with Seiji he'd been having to talk to the guy a lot... and think things through far more than he was used to. The two locked eyes, and Seiji gave a nod at last.

"You're so persistent... but alright..."

The way the blond said that made it feel like there was a rock in Shuu's stomach. While yes, he had an affinity for stone... this wasn't quite the way he liked to get in touch with his element. His dark eyes held to Seiji, feeling the weight of whatever the blond was about to say. The resolve that settled onto the blond's face was reinforced by the battle ready look in his eye. Shuu could almost see the words before they came, but the problem with words was they were tough to stop. A body... no problem... but you couldn't tackle a word down.

"I think it would be unwise for you to have the armor again."

"What?" Shuu shouted the word out before his mind even had a chance to really let the statement sink in. It didn't matter though... because the deeper the words made their way into his mind, the more and more upset he seemed to get with Seiji. "Where is this coming from..." He tried to play it cool for now... he had to be misunderstanding something here.

"I think you would... depend on it. Perhaps you are already in some way."

Shuu hated when that arrogance started to spill out of Seiji, and he wanted to get up. He didn't want to take this sitting down. But... with his leg, he'd just end up leaning on the crutch, and there was no way to seem dominant doing that. Part of his mind understood why Seiji had wanted to wait until Shuu had healed up now. He'd wanted to give them an even playing field before dropping this bomb on him. _'I don't need pity like that.' _He took in a deep breath, trying not to let his anger get any worse than it was right now. Licking his lips, he crossed his arms over his chest. "What the hell man? I thought we were getting somewhere. I thought you figured it out... that the way we're living right now isn't living. And when you talked to me about the armor after the crash I felt better than I had in years... and now you just change your mind? You gotta explain yourself."

Seiji looked down for just a moment, but when he looked up again it seemed like his resolve was even stronger. "If I'm going to explain anything you have to listen to me. Really listen. Quite frankly, I don't think you're going to give any of my words a chance."

"Like the chance you give my words?"

There was a dead silence between the two. "Shuu... I want to speak to you about this calmly... rationally... and... openly." The first two words were hints for Shuu, he knew that... but the 'openly' part... was Seiji saying that he wouldn't try to hold anything in? Would he explain himself completely?

"Then just out with it. Simple, short, so even I can get it, right?"

The blond shook his head. "You really... should stop cutting yourself down like that."

Shuu shook his head. He wasn't here to talk about his self esteem right now. The big issue here was the armors, and why Seiji was saying they were a bad thing now. "Have we been seeing the same things? I know more than ever now that we need the armors back!"

"Tell me why that is Shuu. I'll listen."

Shuu stared at him, wanting to shout that you had to be an idiot not to understand. But he didn't. He wasn't that mad yet, and Seiji was actually being really reasonable about this. So he needed to be too. It was in the way Seiji was looking at him. Seiji looked totally in control of himself... but in that eye of his, Shuu could see that the blond was listening. Maybe in the end he'd just try to twist his words, but something about the other's posture showed that the blond would actually just sit there and listen to him. _'Well, this is the conversation I wanted, and now's the chance for me to say it all. I'm gonna use it.'_ He set his shoulders square at Seiji, and tried to sort through all his feelings and put them into words.

"The crash... and I'm just sayin' this as an example, ok? But that crash... it never woulda happened if we both still had our armors. You wouldn't have been racing, and I wouldn't have had to chase ya around and get involved in it and junk. And if I had my armor... and got into a crash... I woulda been fine! It didn't happen so fast that I wouldn't have been able to get into my undergear. Ya know? Just look... little things like that." He trailed off, hoping Seiji got it from that example. The blond seemed to mull Shuu's words over in his head, before he gave it a slight shake.

"The armors have nothing to do with mundane problems Shuu. People get involved in things they shouldn't all the time... people get into car accidents every day... and they all do this without armor. They all do this without even knowing it exists. This reason... it isn't the real one."

Shuu glared at the blond, but he didn't have a comeback just yet. It was bugging him a little that Seiji was being so extremely calm, but at the same time, with the blond keeping himself restrained, Shuu couldn't help but notice he was behaving better as well. He reached up to scratch at his head, trying to find even more evidence to shove at the blond. It seemed to so obvious to the warrior of stone how necessary the armors were for them again, but somehow he couldn't say why very well. He refused to admit that his own difficulty in explaining himself might mean he was wrong. He wasn't wrong, he just wasn't good at putting emotion to words! He sat there, reaching for something, anything, and trying not to count the minutes of silence that started to tick on. The other man in the room watched him intently, yet nothing in Seiji's posture suggested that he was growing impatient.

"Well I mean... this shows how unprepared we are for anything, ya know? I mean... look at the two of us, if something attacked now, not only do we not have the armor... but we aren't trained for it anymore! We're out of form, and we never would let ourselves get this way if we still had the orbs, right?"

"... what enemy is coming Shuu?" Shuu looked away and shrugged at the question.

"I don't know! Something like Shikaisen... something like Arago... something... I don't know... that isn't the point! I'm saying if something _does_ show up, whatever it is... we won't be ready."

His gaze was drawn back to the table as Seiji suddenly leaned forward across from him. The blond was watching him so seriously that Shuu was almost glad that one eye was covered. The blond reached a hand out across the table, setting it palm down on the smooth wood just next to one of Shuu's. "There's no enemy out there for us to fight Shuu. There is no threat to be afraid of." Seiji's words were so soft, so earnest and almost soothing, as if he was trying to wash away some sort of fear that Shuu had. But Shuu wasn't afraid of an enemy to fight. He was afraid of not hav--

"You don't know that for certain! You only think it." He wouldn't even let himself finish his own thought, he didn't want to face it. He refused to even think that the world really, truly, didn't need him to take up the armor again. He didn't want to believe it was all over forever. There was no way he could tolerate life like this. He pulled his hand back so it wasn't near the blond anymore, but Seiji didn't move his.

"You're right... I agree with you... we don't know that. We don't know... and will never know... unless this enemy manifests itself. But Shuu... this still doesn't mean we should take up the armors again. They aren't trinkets for us to keep Shuu. Armor is made to protect the one who wears it... but no warrior lives in his armor. There comes a time in even the greatest of samurai's life when he will no longer wear it. There comes a time when his blade no longer shines in battle."

"But you don't just throw it away! You keep the armor, you keep the sword! You honor it and treasure it... you don't give it away!" Of course, Seiji didn't need to be told this. His family line knew well about such things. That didn't mean Shuu wouldn't try anything he could here.

"Of course you don't throw it away, that isn't what I'm trying to say. Shuu... we bore the armor... we were entrusted with it and earned the right to wear it into battle... but it does not _belong_ to us. It existed before us... and it will exist after us. It was ours to use while the danger was there... but now... our time is passed."

"No! Seiji, we're older but we aren't old men! There's still more time for us to keep the armor before... before it should go to someone else!"

Seiji looked almost a little sad at that. "How old would you need to be to be satisfied, Shuu? Before you'd willingly give it up again?"

"I... older. I just know I should still have the armor right now."

"... and what would having it change? What would it honestly change? If it's the old camaraderie we had that you miss, then Shuu, I will help you. You have the numbers... we can call Touma and Ryo and Shin and even Nasutei and Jun... we can rekindle old friendships. But what will the armor do for you Shuu? Look deep inside... what will it do but make your longing for the past worse? I... worry for you Shuu. I worry that if you find the armor again, you'll just start chasing dangers. And what danger is there in the world but the danger we create?"

"Seiji, the armor doesn't create danger! We learned this."

"I didn't say the armor Shuu." Finally the blond looked down, and not at Shuu, and Seiji seemed to allow Shuu to see some of the guilt the blond had been feeling the past few days. "We create the danger in our lives just fine without the armor. It doesn't take Kourin or Kongo to put us in a life threatening situation. I did that with my own power, with my own thoughtlessness. When I saw..." The blond paused again. For a moment Shuu didn't understand why, and he almost interrupted Seiji to try and get back to his own point but didn't. The blond wasn't pausing because he didn't want to say what was on his mind, he paused because he was reliving the moment in his head. _'I never really thought about his reaction that night.'_ Seiji seemed to recover and continued on. "When I saw the headlights of Katsu's car coming, I knew something was wrong. I knew something was wrong but I didn't move until he drove right past us. It was... like I didn't want to believe that you weren't about to just come driving up any minute. And when everyone else started to talk and wonder I rushed to a car. I haven't felt terror like that in so long Shuu... I admit it. I was... scared. You weren't coming... and the road was dangerous and I didn't even have any idea where you might have crashed. The guys who came with me kept saying you were fine and I said nothing to them. I strained my eyes in the dark and wanted to curse it. I wanted to shout for Kourin... shout for the power to fill the night with light so I could find you and just make sure you were alright. When we saw where you'd gone off the road, saw the broken guard rail, I cursed myself for every moment that had passed. Why hadn't I sensed something when you'd crashed? What if I was just too late? I thought about the armor again Shuu... wished I'd had the power to run faster than a person could hope to see. But when I got out of the car and rushed off the road and down that slope to get to you... I realized something. I understood I didn't have the armor, but I understood I had to find some way to help you anyway. I understood that even without the armor, I _could_ still help you."

"But Seiji... you're saying it too... that if you'd had..."

"If I'd had the armor everything would have been fine?"

"Well... yeah. You're sort of proving my point here now."

Seiji gave a wave smile and shook his head. "Perhaps the accident wouldn't have happened... you're right. But that doesn't mean that we'd always be safe. Events wouldn't be like they are now... it's true... but I wouldn't have learned something important without this. Without all of this. Giving up the armors... letting my recklessness take over and then... meeting you again and having this all happen. I started to see things clearly again Shuu. I told you I thought you would depend on the armor if you got it back... because I saw in myself the same thing. They were such a huge part of us... and they're always in our thoughts. Living without them we've been failing to learn how to just be... human. To be adults. To be men. In our confusion over our new roles, we made the armors into something to protect us from the future. But they cannot be... we can't let it be. There's no _real_ threat worthy of them... and it is shameful for us to see them as a crutch to get us through our lives."

"But I'm not saying we'd depend on them... you're missing the point... we need them just in case!"

"In case of what? I'm trying to show you Shuu... trying to show you that we're trying to invent reasons to need them. Both of us did it in different ways. I created danger... you imagine future perils. Shuu... if we needed the armors... _we would still have them._ But we don't... we don't have them and we don't need them. What we need to accept... is that we're not warriors now. No longer... and not again."

Shuu sat there staring at the blond, trying to understand what he was saying. He thought he was trying to anyway, but in reality... he didn't know what to do. Seiji was sounding so sure of himself. Everything he was saying proved to Shuu that they were both seeing the same things, both having similar thoughts. Just the blond... his conclusions were all different. They didn't make sense to Shuu because he didn't want them to. He refused to stop believing that all the unhappiness he'd been feeling lately wasn't because the armor was missing. He refused to believe that the crash proved anything other than the fact that they needed the armors back. He refused to believe, most of all, that he wasn't needed as a warrior anymore. He refused to believe that his fate really was just to live as a normal... ordinary... man. He refused it all. He refused to think that just seeing the guys again would help. Like a stubborn boulder stuck in a ridge, he was refusing to budge or listen and let anything sink in right now. He pushed himself up out of his chair and stared down at Seiji.

"You're wrong."


	14. Needed

**Author's Note:**

Shall I sit and give excuses for the long break between chapters? Nope! Just an 'I'm sorry' and... well... 'hope you enjoy'. Trying to wrap this up (a few more chapters yet to go though).

* * *

The cell phone in his hand felt light, strangely like a feather really. Maybe it was all in his head. Maybe he was imagining it should be heavier. Whatever it was, as Shuu stared down at the tiny phone in his hand, it felt almost weightless. Almost like it wasn't there. But it was there. It was really in his hand. And the number of Touma was sitting on the screen right before his eyes. All he needed to do was hit one little button and it'd send the call to his old friend. Just one button press and he would be a step closer to what he wanted back. However, if he pushed that button now, he'd be breaking his end of the bet. He'd be cheating, going back on his word, whatever you wanted to call it. There was no way he could let himself do something dishonest like that, so for now, all he did was stare at the number. It was weird, seeing a number he didn't recognize attached to one of the guys. It was slightly disturbing to think of how they were all just in new places now. For a moment he could only wonder about what they'd been doing these past years. Had they moved on, gotten married, had kids? Had they assimilated into normal society? Or had they been like him and, well, Seiji. Had they been unable to move on?

Maybe they had moved on. It was a very sobering and rather depressing thought. Shuu's mood was rather dark of late, ironic considering he had the former warrior of light supposedly trying to help him. But relations between the two could easily be described as rocky again right now, and their interactions ranged from terrible to a sort of shaky peace. At least there wasn't any violence right now. Shuu had finally gotten back to work, and Seiji permanently returned to his own home. They saw each other less, though the blond was still making the effort to contact him. The time of the bet was running out, after all. It was looking like Shuu would win by default. It wouldn't be a satisfying win for the warrior of stone at all. He wanted Seiji really on his side, but every day he met with the blond, it seemed more and more clear to him. The two, while trying to pull each other to their own side, were really pushing each other apart. It seemed every inch they moved forward would lead to something that would drag them a thousand steps back. It was, to be honest, getting very old to Shuu. He was glad it would soon be over. He'd be even more glad if somehow at the end of it all Seiji was on his side.

The back door to the restaurant opened, and Shuu looked over to it. He'd decided to take his lunch break outside. While it wasn't the nicest place to sit and eat, he'd needed something to lift his mood, at least a little. Sitting out under the sky, looking up and relaxing, hadn't quite done it but he'd tried. The waiter, some guy who Shuu'd never really chatted with much, looked over at him and started to motion him over.

"Hey, Lin said to come get you, there's a visitor here for you."

"Visitor?"

"Yeah, some blond guy."

Shuu scowled. A blond guy visiting him. The list of suspects was tiny. _'Why is he bothering me here at work?'_ For a moment Shuu considered just having the waiter go back in and send the message that his break was over, and he was busy. But if Lin, his superior of course, had said for him to go out... he didn't have too many excuses. Not unless he wanted to take it up with the head chef, and he knew well enough to leave his life's drama at the door when he came to work. _'What's with the guy? Coming here. He must be really getting desperate to win our bet if he's having to come here like this.'_ He made sure to wash his hands before heading out, and if nothing else, was grateful that in the restaurant, Seiji would be on especially good behavior. If he needed to get the blond to leave that way, he would. Even Shuu was getting sick of their more physical confrontations.

Walking into the restaurant, Shuu took his time heading out to the seating area. He stayed out of way of the other chefs and staff who weren't on break, not wanting to interrupt the service to the other customers there. Still, before heading straight over he scanned about, trying to see where Seiji was. The restaurant wasn't packed at the moment (Shuu would never take his lunch break over the rush), but there were still quite a few diners about. Even so, Seiji wasn't really someone hard to spot in a crowd. Seiji had a dish of food in front of him, so it seemed like he must have been there for a short while. It was strange to see him there, in a simple grey business suit. Come to think on it, he hadn't asked Seiji what his job actually was. He'd only known that the blond hadn't decided to simply stay at the dojo. Shuu stopped watching, and strode over.

"Shuu... hello..." Seiji gave him a smile, looking up from the table he was seated at. Lin had taken a seat as well, and from the look of things they'd been chatting. For some reason, that annoyed Shuu greatly. Pride would probably keep him from questioning Lin about it later. He could only hope she'd bring up the subject on her own.

"Hey Seiji..." he replied casually enough. He was in a bad mood, but it wasn't as though you could start to yell at someone just for saying 'hi'. He looked over at Lin for a moment, and he was pretty sure he was giving her a clear look of 'I don't want to talk to this guy'. "My break's over..." He left the statement open, wanting her to take the hint.

"It's alright, sit, chat. The big rush is over." She flashed Shuu a smile as she got up from her seat, turning to smile at Seiji and give a polite and friendly goodbye. Seiji returned it happily, and Shuu groaned inwardly. _'I guess I shouldn't have hoped she'd bail me out in the first place. Better fight my own battles.'_ He moved the chair Lin had just vacated a bit and took a seat on it. The two were silent for a moment, Shuu leaning back in his chair, arms crossed. Seiji looked as though he was trying to maintain a pleasant atmosphere between them.

"I'm sorry if my showing up here is bothering you," Seiji said, and Shuu gave a shrug of his shoulders.

"Why are you here? You know when my shift ends."

The blond gave a slight smile, and cast his gaze around the dining room. Shuu couldn't help but sort of follow it, not seeing anything particularly interesting. "I wanted to see more of your life. With my own eyes. I showed you some of mine... and it helped. So I thought it was well past the time I should have done something like this."

"Running out of time," Shuu said simply, doubting that anything Seiji saw here was going to tip him off on any quick ways to 'fix' Shuu. Seiji's smile seemed to quirk upward for a moment, but he nodded.

"You're right, I am. Still... it's nice to see more of where you're coming from."

Shuu relaxed just a little, nodding his head. He looked around on his own this time. "Disappointed you don't see anything wrong with the place?"

Seiji chuckled slightly. "In a way, yes. However... I'm glad to see you've found a nice place to work at."

"Yeah... it's not bad." He paused for a moment and couldn't help but sort of laugh at the situation. "Nothing I should be able to complain about, right?"

Seiji's smile turned into more of a smirk. "Well, everyone comes from someplace different." Again there was that hint of understanding between the two, but Shuu almost dreaded those moments. Because when they'd start to understand, they'd start to tug. But it didn't happen, Seiji just looked down to his food and took a few more bites, finishing off the meal. "I'd actually hoped I'd get to eat something you'd made here... without your knowing it. But... talking to Lin it seems like you'd been on your break already when I ordered."

Shuu gave him a lopsided look. "Why? I cooked for you before at my place."

Seiji nodded. "True... but you were cooking for me. I wanted to taste how your cooking was at work."

"I don't do anything different."

"I suppose not... but... I still would have liked to have tasted that for myself." The blond looked like he was going to say more, when he suddenly glanced down at the watch on his wrist. He clicked his tongue against his teeth, looking somewhat annoyed. Shuu assumed that meant Seiji needed to head back to work now. He watched the blond get up, watched as the blond surveyed the scene around them again. The former warrior of light let his vision linger on the kitchen for a moment, before he looked down at Shuu. There was something in his eye that made Shuu tense up a little. _'Here it comes.'_

"You've got a nice place to work... but I can see one problem."

Should he rise to the bait? Seiji was waiting, and it seemed like the blond would probably just walk away without saying it if Shuu told him to. But... hell, why run away now? It's not like he was in a good mood today anyway. "What's the problem?"

Seiji's gaze never wavered, his tone matter of fact yet neutral. No judgments. "You're not needed here." Shuu frowned, wanting for a moment to press the blond for information. But, when Seiji's attention flicked back to his watch abruptly, Shuu knew it'd be wrong to delay the blond further. "I'll talk to you again later Shuu. Take care."

"You too man." He gave a small wave and watched Seiji go, only hesitating a moment before getting up himself and heading back to the kitchen. His break was over, after all. He'd ask Lin later if she wanted him to stick around a bit late to make up for his time out of the kitchen. For now he took up his spot at his station and got right back to work. He didn't want to dwell on Seiji's comment, but it kept sort of filtering back into his head. _'You're not needed here.'_ Shuu let out a tiny snort. Of course he wasn't needed here. There were plenty of other cooks here. He wasn't even the sous chef or head chef. He was a cog in the little cooking machine. He'd been out for a week and the restaurant had been just fine without him. There was nothing critical about working in this restaurant. Even if the place struggled (which of course Shuu didn't want to happen), well... in the grand scheme it wasn't anything to worry about. One restaurant going under versus something like Arago? Yeah... he wasn't needed here at the restaurant, and that was fine.

_'I wonder why he'd mention that if he's trying to get me to stop thinking about the armors. Why would he point out how trivial this place is?'_ He kept up the contemplation, trying to guess at the blond's motives. Should he call him later and ask? Maybe. He didn't like thinking in circles like this... but maybe rather than just speculation, it wouldn't hurt to ask. Over the phone tonight. He didn't think he was up for an in person visit.

- - - - -

"Hello?"

"Hey Seiji." Shuu leaned back in his chair, trying to get comfortable after a long day at the restaurant. Thankfully, once he'd decided to just call Seiji his mind had been able to let the subject drop for a while, so his shift had been pretty easy to focus on. Now that he was home, and in his own space, he was ready to tackle this. "You got time to talk?"

"Ah... sure..." There was hesitation in Seiji's voice on the other end of the line, and Shuu could hear the other man moving about in his home.

"Hey, if you've got something going on..."

"No... it's alright. It's not until much later."

Shuu bristled internally. "What are you doing so late?"

On the other end of the phone, he heard Seiji actually laugh a bit. "I'm going out for some drinks with Takeshi... _mother_."

"I thought you were out of racing..."

"I am. Completely done. But Takeshi's still my friend."

Shuu didn't say anything about that at first, feeling somewhat betrayed but knowing that this time for certain there was no good cause for it. There was nothing wrong with Seiji still talking to some of those guys. It was just the racing that was the problem. "Ah yeah, gotcha." He thought he heard Seiji take a seat. The small noises of someone moving about stopped at any rate.

"So, what did you need?"

"What were you getting at today, at the restaurant, when you said I wasn't needed? I mean, I just want to know where you were going with it, that's all."

"Oh," Seiji's voice didn't seem upset by the question at all. In fact, he sounded extremely casual. "I just thought it was worth noting. We needed you back then. Each one of us was completely critical. But... looking at your work, it just struck me that you really aren't needed there. It seems like the entire staff works just fine without you. Though please don't misunderstand, I got the impression only a few people were critical there."

Shuu shook his head, even if the gesture couldn't be seen over the phone. "Nah, I gotcha... and I do agree. I'm not _needed_ there like I was during our battle. I guess I just... wonder why you'd point it out. Isn't that working against your cause?"

"Hmm..." He listened to Seiji muse it over, waiting. "I suppose if you look at it one way, yes it is. Though in my mind... it's relevant to my efforts."

"How do you figure?"

There was a long pause before Seiji finally spoke again, so long that Shuu actually pulled the phone away from his ear to look and make sure they hadn't been disconnected. Shuu had the feeling Seiji was debating what he wanted to say here.

"I'd prefer if you answered that really."

"Huh?"

"Why would I possibly point that out to you?"

Shuu frowned. "You want me to pretend to be you?"

"Not so much pretend to be me but... look at it from my perspective. Or at least, look at it from one that isn't your own."

Shuu let out a small growl into the phone, scratching at his hair with his free hand. Ok, he wasn't in the mood for this. He just wanted a simple answer. "Just tell me man, ok?"

"Alright... though it'd be more effective if you thought about it on your own. I was just thinking, it was strange that you would take a job where you were so trivial. You're not the type to be so unnecessary. It made me wonder if you'd done it originally as a precaution... in case something happened. But after all this time... I wonder if you didn't get trapped in it. You want to feel needed again... but won't let yourself pursue that sort of life."

"Why wouldn't I, pretending you're right?"

"That seems obvious... because you're clinging to your old role, your old life... the armors."

"So what... like... sabotaging myself?"

"Something of the sort. That was what I was musing over, at any rate."

"Well... you're wrong. I'm not hiding from jobs where I'd be important, there's just no job as important as the one we all had."

"I never said hiding... ah..." Shuu could hear the sound of a doorbell in the background. "Takeshi's here early... should I..."

"Nah nah... go on. You cleared it up man, that's all I wanted. Have fun."

"Alright, goodnight Shuu."

"Night."

Flipping his phone shut, Shuu stared at the ceiling. Seiji sure was thinking up some useless stuff. What was he trying to say there... that Shuu's job was the problem? The root of his frustration? Not even close. Just being in a higher position wouldn't suddenly make him not want the armors back. The idea was crazy. It'd just make it tougher on him when he did get Kongo again. Ok ok, so maybe he was slightly right. Shuu didn't want to get too absorbed into a normal mundane job. He needed to stay ready to move. But that... wasn't... no, that wasn't something that was a big part of what he was feeling. Having a more critical job, or a more depended on role... that wasn't what would 'fix' this. Right? Yeah. That wasn't it. He closed his eyes and slowly shook his head a bit, feeling sort of confused.

It wasn't about being happy at a job. It was that the world needed him to keep the armor, to be ready to wear it at any time like he had before. _'But, I guess I need something to do... while waiting for an attack...'_ He paused, and shook that thought off. Nah, that wasn't the right way to think on it. If he started thinking about what to do in between attacks, then he'd just get sucked into the pace of the normal people around him. He had to stay apart. For just the slightest moment, Shuu felt a little silly. Was he putting his life on hold for nothing? Turning on his television set, he shoved those thoughts to the side. _'This is just Seiji getting in my head.'_


	15. Life On Hold

**Author's Notes:**

I suppose it's best to say this story _was_ on a bit of an unannounced hiatus, with as long as it took me to even think about writing it again. Eventually I got into a self-debate about the ending, changed my mind about a few things and, at last, found the inspiration to write this again. I freely admit this story has taken turns I never planned on, and having to deal with these changes made it a bit rough. But, I've settled on the conclusion in my head, and now it's time to get there.

The horrible part of it all? I've already begun to toy with the idea of a sequel, but I'm going to make no plans about actually writing that yet. I'm not going to talk about the premise of the sequel, because that would spoil the ending here of course.

So, sorry to everyone for my always slow updates. Sadly, you're all probably used to that by now, right? But we're almost done… thanks for reading this long!

* * *

The past few days, Shuu's heart had been racing. Thankfully, though, it wasn't for any bad reason this time. As he got out of bed he flipped open his cell phone, not going straight to his contacts list this time but rather to the small calendar program. The small electronic display was dim in the early morning light, and Shuu had to tilt his rather low-end phone slightly to avoid glare from the light so that he could see. It wasn't as though his deep dark blue eyes really needed to see the date on the screen, he'd begun his countdown a couple of days ago. He knew the date by heart. All the same, he stared at the small phone in his large calloused hand, and he couldn't help but feel a wave of adrenaline and excitement pass though him.

One more week… there was just one small week left to their bet.

He snapped his phone shut and closed his eyes, letting out a long trail of breath and almost melting back down to his bed. Yes, perhaps he was being a bit fanciful at the moment, but how could he not be in a great mood? The day he'd been fighting Seiji to get to was rapidly approaching, and it didn't matter how many brooding fits Shuu got dragged into now. Seven short days of unhappiness and uncertainty were nothing compared with the prize looming ahead of him. He paused and frowned for a moment, cracking open just one eye. Had he just admitted to being uncertain? Surely he hadn't, not the warrior of stone. Surely the light wasn't chipping away at his perfect resolve? He let the other eye drift open and ran a hand through his short dark hair.

'_Ok ok, he is. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't, maybe, doubting this a little.'_ That was, of course, a monumental confession from Shuu, one he would _never_ admit to the blond. Well… never was a strong word. He knew he would probably admit to it. Padding softly through his home, his bare feet making only traces of noise, Shuu thought over the long and twisting road he'd taken to get where he was right now. Well, the three-month road that involved Seiji at least. The thoughts of the past facing off against Arago were never far from his thoughts, never uncommon, so much so that those thoughts were what he considered typical. But as he began his morning routine, washing his face in the small porcelain sink in his bathroom, pulling out his toothbrush and rather mechanically brushing at his teeth, he thought over this whole challenge.

It was almost amusing, in a way, how it had all worked out. He could remember how at the start it seemed like Seiji was in control, but remembering it now, there was more to it than that. The blond had baited him into it, hadn't he? The blond had said that he was giving Shuu a chance to sway him just as much as he was going to try to sway Shuu. If you looked at the events, Shuu had to admit that he'd certainly come out on top. He'd really sort of reformed Seiji… gotten him to stop something dangerous and return more to the steady even light of the past. Seiji wasn't going to flicker and get consumed by the dark now, and Shuu felt really good about that. It was nice to be able to do some good for someone's life, and it was nicer still to see he could still bring about actual change in the world. Well, not the world, but one person. The point was he'd changed something for the better with his own hands, a sensation he'd not felt since he'd worn the orange armor about his body.

Forgoing a shower this morning, Shuu returned to change into his work uniform, his mind still mulling things over. Grudgingly, he had to admit that his ability to help Seiji get out of the street racing had nothing to do with the armor. He was enough of an adult to, finally, be able to admit that his helping the blond with that had been of his own standard human power. He'd refused to face Seiji's latest observation initially, refusing to think about how he'd been almost purposely making himself unnecessary. With only the short week left, Shuu's sense of justice told him that wasn't truly fair. Running away from Seiji's observations would mean, in a way, running away from the bet. He needed to face it all head on and with a clear head. Thankfully, his head actually was feeling clear at last, giving him a chance to safely digest the situation.

Shuu did want to feel needed, and he did miss it. He could admit that, at least to himself, without too much difficulty. His hands moved as he prepared his own breakfast, his morning routine continuing on autopilot, the body memory giving his mind plenty of opportunity to wander. _'I guess… that feeling, isn't really unique to me though.'_ Shuu knew that for as much as he'd shifted the blond a bit the past three months, the blond had shifted him a bit as well. It wasn't that Shuu was thinking _more_… but he was making the effort to think _differently_. To take another look at something, to refrain from passing judgment immediately, it wasn't something he'd done often in the past. He was getting used to it now, reaching for the bigger picture when he considered things. Granted, he'd probably always still go with his initial gut decision. It hadn't been that great of a change that'd passed over him, but he'd learned to take a small amount of time and just think.

The skillet in front of him began to sizzle slightly, the aroma of his meal traveling up to his nose and stalling his thoughts for now. His eyes trailed down to the food he was preparing, a simple breakfast stir fry of vegetables and egg, his left hand expertly flicking the skillet up a couple of times before with his right he stirred at the food. The sound and the smell absorbed his attention for now as he flicked the light metal up a couple more times, before he placed his spoon to a small holder on the counter and turned off the heat. It wasn't until he'd pulled down a plate and taken his food to the table did he allow his thoughts to resume, savoring the flavors in his mouth as he ate. He was seriously trying to give it some thought. He was trying to really decide if, during these years of isolation from the guys, he would have forgotten about the armors if he'd engaged in normal life more fully. _'No, forget is the wrong word. Would I feel the pull to get them back so much?'_ It was difficult to come up with an honest answer really. Mostly he wanted to say no, it wouldn't have mattered. But, how could he really know without having tried it? He hadn't… he'd picked something safe to just coast through. Seiji had, well, been right. He'd sort of avoided getting attached to normal life, wanting to be able to quickly drop it all again.

'_Would it have been enough?'_ His mind roamed over as many jobs as he could think of where he'd be 'needed'. What jobs were critical… which of those jobs might he have been able to attain? He'd never pursued terribly high levels of education. Missing that year when they were battling had made him leery of pursuing advanced academics. So without any sort of advanced degree, without any previous training, were there jobs out there he could have gotten and felt 'needed'. Were there jobs he could have spent the time working at, positions he could have tried to rise to that would have given that sense of being vital? He sat back in his chair, staring down at his plate with tensed brows, feeling the weight of that question sitting upon his shoulders. There was a bit of tension resting in his back, between his shoulder blades, but he didn't move to try and ease the pressure. He used it like a focusing point, letting that pain seem to knot into him and really make him consider the question. Would it have really been enough?

In his warrior's heart, he just couldn't say yes. But, there was still room for doubt. He'd never truly tried; he'd never given a plain life an honest devoted chance. His heart told him the fields of battle were where he'd always belong, where he would always thrive, but he began to allow another thought in as well. Perhaps he could have found some happiness without the war as well. He conceded that, if nothing else, he _should_ have tried it. The tension cleared from his back just slightly, and he rose from his chair, grabbing up his plate and moving to wash it off at the sink. He wasn't entirely sure how he felt about accepting this, about accepting that all this time he'd been wasting the opportunity to try and find some manner of happiness. He didn't know how he felt about this self-sabotage. This, he realized, was exactly what he needed to resolve in the remaining days.

Did it really matter, in the end, that he'd never tried? Did accepting he should have change the situation at all?

- - - - -

The next day, with only six days left, he called Seiji. It'd been during work hours and on his lunch break, and he'd predictably gotten the other's mobile voicemail. His breaks didn't overlap the conventional lunch hours, after all. He'd left a message asking if the guy wanted to have some dinner that night or something, and a few hours later his own mobile buzzed with a text message reply. Kourin had agreed, and told Shuu to just set the time (no earlier than 7 pm) and the place and he'd be there. He gave it a meager amount of thought before picking a bar he liked to go to with some of the other restaurant employees after hours. It wasn't a formal eatery, but the appetizers that they had available with the drinks could be ordered in sufficient quantity to fill your belly. It wasn't a healthy dinner, but hey, it was a bar. You knew what you were getting into when you agreed to go. Seiji's reply came within only a few minutes this time, causing Shuu's phone to vibrate in his pocket and his hand to almost slip with the knife. That would have just been what he needed, cutting off a finger or something. The message was short, just a simple question about if Shuu was going to be drinking too, or if they should meet up and then take a cab. _'Sensible, ha.'_ Shuu said he meet up at Seiji's and the plans were set. He could return to autopilot for the rest of his shift.

- - - - -

He'd hit up his home to grab a shower and a change of clothes, not wanting to head out to a bar in his work uniform and smelling of foodstuffs. He still held to the belief that the clothes you liked best were the best style for you, but tonight he put at least a slight amount of effort into what he wore. Why not? He didn't go all out like some sort of fashion model, no. But his clothes were a decided step up from 'jeans and a t-shirt' or even overalls. He looked good enough to maybe catch a few eyes, or so he figured. It wasn't his intent, but the male ego could always use the attention too. His Jeep idled with a slight rattling noise as he parked, his ever static filled radio having found some way to turn itself right back on again. Sometimes he wondered if there was a ghost haunting the radio, but never seriously. His Jeep was developing enough electrical problems that the radio turning itself on really didn't seem so very strange. Strolling to Seiji's door, he did find that he'd beaten the blond home, which caused him to pull out his cell phone and look at both the clock and to see if he'd missed a call from the blond. He assumed if Seiji was running significantly late, the other would call, so he wasn't too worried.

He paced in front of the door a little, before he decided he'd just wait at the Jeep. No, he wouldn't have a radio, but he wouldn't just be lurking outside the door like a fool. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he began to walk, only getting half way to the Jeep again when he saw Seiji's car pull up. The blond didn't speed or screech when parking or anything, but the slightly disheveled look the blond had as he got out of the car made Shuu smirk. The blond looked to him and waved, walking around to the other side of his car to grab out a briefcase and an overcoat.

"Need any help man?" Shuu called out, but Seiji just looked up and shook his head no with a slight smile, pressing a small black keychain to lock his car.

"This is it, thanks. Sorry about being late, were you waiting long? I thought I'd beat you here still…" The blond was trudging up to his door, and Shuu casually shook his head no.

"I just got here a few minutes ago really, no problem. Get held up?"

"Yeah, a phone call that didn't want to end," Seiji sounded a bit worn out as he shook out his keys, looking for the one to his door. Still, Shuu could tell whatever stress work had caused the other was wearing off already. Turning the key, Seiji pushed the door open and held it out for Shuu. The lights were off, and Shuu made sure to flick on the switch for them as he passed into the building. Seiji moved in after him, shutting the door and hanging up his coat in the entry small closet. Shuu paused for a moment, looking around. Last time he'd been here, well, he'd ruined the furniture. He noticed that Seiji's sitting room had all new pieces, the style similar to before, and if he wasn't mistaken, the color patterns on them just a little bit more interesting than the previous furniture had had. Shuu also noted that on a small table by the windowsill was a bonsai. He wandered over as he listened to Seiji move about, hearing the guy set his briefcase down on a table before heading off to his own room. Shuu examined the little tree. He was no expert, but this one looked better than the last one he'd seen. If it was the same one, well, then it was getting better care.

"Take your time man, I'm in no hurry," he said conversationally, making sure his voice would carry to the other room.

"Thanks, just need a minute…"

"Yeah? I thought it took you like an hour to do that hair of yours."

"You could stand to spend an hour on yours."

"Hey!" Both seemed to radiate a bit of laughter, and Shuu shook his head, running a hand over it. _'How the hell could I spend an hour on my hair?'_ The subtle sounds of Seiji moving about his room filled the otherwise quiet home, every so often a birdcall or bit of noise from traffic adding to the atmosphere. Moving about the room aimlessly, his eyes hit on the table Seiji had set his briefcase down on, and he noted that there were quite a few papers and folders stacked on it. He wandered over and stared down at the papers, not really all that interested but just sort of casually looking while he waited. He didn't go opening folders or anything of the sort, just glancing at whatever was on top. The papers didn't mean much to him; they looked like business documents and, therefore, had far more small print than he felt like reading. But one seemed to be about a business permit or something, and Seiji's precise writing had begun to fill it out it seemed. He gave a slight shrug, and wandered to go have a seat. It actually really didn't take Seiji very long to come back out, dressed more casually than Shuu would have expected. Still, the blond had style, and didn't really need to do much he guessed. The blond patted his pockets absently, checking for his cellphone, and Shuu found it a little funny.

"What?" Seiji asked, apparently picking up on this as he smoothed some nonexistent lint from his shirt. Shuu shook his head.

"You always remind me that you're just like the rest of us at the weirdest times man."

Seiji arched a brow but shook the comment off, seeming to debate for a moment if he wanted to tuck in the button up shirt he had on or not, apparently choosing to let it hang loose. It fit him well, so it didn't look sloppy. The pair called for a cab to come and get them, chatting away in pointless circles as they lingered out by the street. The night was chilly but comfortable, and they hardly noticed the time it took the cab to find them passing along. The bar that Shuu had them going to was nice enough. Nothing super classy, but nice enough that there weren't drunks stumbling out from the doors. As he and Seiji passed from the cab into the building, Shuu nudged the other man to the simple bar counter, motioning towards a couple of seats that were open. Sure, they could have tried for one of the tables that inhabited the small rectangular space, but they didn't need anything quite so intimate. Besides, drinking at the bar itself usually meant faster drink service. _'Not that I'm out to get totally drunk or anything.'_ It was just Shuu's habit. Seiji didn't seem to mind it or question it, and he seemed perfectly at ease ordering a beer along side of Shuu.

They were maybe a drink and a half into their night when Seiji finally leveled his gaze on Shuu, taking advantage of a break in their conversation topic. The blond had a rather taunting smile on his lips, though it was more playful than antagonizing. "So Shuu... why did you invite me out tonight huh?"

"What, can't I celebrate a good mood with an old buddy?"

"Hmm... oh, and what could this good mood possibly be for I wonder." The sarcasm in Seiji's voice was dry but amusing.

"It isn't every day I win a bet. How's it feel to _lose_ man?"

Seiji's lips grew tight as the man fought to hold back a smile, shaking his head ever so lightly. "Rotten," he admitted and the two had another laugh, Shuu taking a drink of his beer. Seiji sighed and took a drink of his own, before looking at Shuu from the corner of his eye. "Not that I've _technically_ lost yet."

"Haha, but you're running out of time and you know it. Unless you have some giant trump card, I've got this in the bag." He locked eyes with the other, and Seiji just shrugged his shoulders.

"Alright, alright... I admit it. I'm running out of thoughts when it comes to what to do about you. I've pointed out probably all I'll think of... though I'm certain once the bet is over I'll think of the perfect tactic."

"It's no good developing a finishing attack after the battle, you know that."

"Yes yes yes." Shuu clapped the other man on the back and grinned, but decided he'd give Seiji a break now. He leaned over a bit so that the two could hear each other a bit better.

"But, what I really wanted to do, was let ya know you haven't been wasting your time. Especially the last thing you said, about being needed and avoiding 'normal life' and stuff like that. I just wanted you to know that I really am listening to you man. Listening _and_ thinking about it."

"Thinking? You? Are you ill?" Shuu rolled his eyes, letting Seiji have his turn at poking a bit of fun. But this... it was going well. Smooth. Maybe something about the fact that the bet was almost over was sort of easing the tension for the two. Seiji really was running out of time to prove things, and so was Shuu really. He tilted his head to the side, looking at the blond. Seiji blinked back at him. "What?"

"So hey... what about you? I've just admitted it... just told ya I'm really considering your opinions and stuff. So how about you? Put any thought into taking up Kourin again?" One Amethyst-blue eye held to him, before Seiji brought his drinks to his lips and very slowly drained it down. For a minute Shuu thought he'd gone and ruined their happy comfortable get together, but when Seiji set down the glass, the man didn't look particularly upset.

"I've been thinking about it, yes. It's... well, it's hard not to with the way you keep stubbornly clinging to the idea. I believe everything I say when I'm talking to you, when I'm trying to convince you that we shouldn't have them anymore. Even if I think about it right now I don't _want_ Kourin back. Still... I don't think the armor, for me, was ever truly about 'want'," Seiji scratched at the back of his hand softly with one finger, still watching Shuu but looking a bit like he was lost in thought. "Taking up the armor isn't the answer you need for your life Shuu. I still think it's weighing your down, and I still have no intention of seeking it out. But, I won't go back on my word either, and vow to do so if I lose. It's just... I don't know Shuu... I'm pretty sure I still don't want the armor back, however, if I needed to I'd bear it again in a heartbeat. I suppose even after all this time, if it called, I'd still answer."

Shuu exhaled a short breath, feeling a bit relieved at the answer. No, it wasn't the most ideal of answers, but with as adamant as Seiji had been about never wanting the armors again... it was good to see he'd at least _accept_ it again. Probably not happily, no, that was obvious. But... he would do his duty if need be. _'That's the warrior in him.' _Ordering another drink, gave a nod at the other. "So... I guess we're both sort of... backing down a bit then, huh?"

Seiji cocked his head to the side, ordering another drink as well. A sly smile hit his lips. "I suppose we are. I never thought you'd be the sort to compromise."

"And _you_ are?" The stubborn pair locked glances again, then raised their glasses together in a small toast before returning to more meaningless banter.

- - - - -

It was rather late when the two managed their way out of the cab. Neither was drunk enough to start swaying or randomly bursting into song, nothing like that, but their wits and reflexes were most certainly dulled. They managed to keep their voices mostly down at a reasonable level as they headed for Seiji's door, even if they were rather animatedly talking about old adventures against the Masho. Shuu continued to ramble on his tale a bit as Seiji worked the key at the door, both of them seeming to find it somewhat amusing that he was taking so long. When the door was opened, Shuu nearly tripped heading inside in the complete and utter darkness.

"Seiji... how do you... _you_... forget to leave a light on."

"Shh. Find the switch and try not to break it... I'll get us some water."

Shuu felt along the wall with his hand, grateful that Seiji remembered about the water. Kongo had had much more than this to drink in a night before, but it was best not to do anything that might make a hangover any worse than it was probably going to be. The water would help, and with any luck he'd just have a dull headache in the morning. He hadn't even realized it, but now he figured out that he'd be sleeping here tonight. It was that or drive home, which he knew wouldn't be the smartest decision. He certainly wasn't about to call out another cab and get taken home. That would be making too much of a bother. His hand hit against the light switch at last, and he winced a little as he flicked it on. He hadn't even shut his eyes before doing so, and the sudden burst of brightness hurt. He covered his eyes with one large and strong hand, moving slowly and eventually sitting down at the table with the papers. He started to sort of push them aside a bit, so that he'd have a place to set his water when Seiji brought it out.

He stared at the papers. He stared at the briefcase. Oh yeah.

"Hey Seiji! What the hell do you do for a living."

Seiji emerged from the kitchen, matching simple plain glass cups in either hand. The blond seemed a bit confused at the sudden question, but brought the water over to Shuu. The bigger man took it and kept looking at the blond who hadn't sat down yet. "I'm a consultant."

"What?"

"Haha... a consultant. People pay me to offer professional advice on various business matters."

"You get paid to just say what you think?" Shuu raised an eyebrow, incredulous. Hell, he could do a job like that. Seiji clicked his tongue at him though, as if reading through that expression.

"It isn't as though I can just sit and say any opinion that pops into my head Shuu. These are very serious matters, and the amount of research I have to do to provide vaild strategies is... well... significant."

"So... you sort of do all the hard work for them... "

"Well, running the actual business is rather difficult I would imagine. I'm simply paid to make sure they make wise decisions."

"Haha... no kidding. Well... I guess that answers that." Shuu could honestly say he never would have thought up that job for Seiji, but so it went. Things weren't always predictable, and while Shuu was pretty sure he'd gotten the very condensed 'children's version' of what Seiji's job was, he thought the job was suitable enough. Lights existed to guide people, right? Seiji was still holding to his element in a strange way, intended or not. Shuu let his eyes trail down to the papers on the desk, pointing a solid finger at the one from before.

"So what's this? It looks like a business permit?"

"Ah," Seiji took a sip of his water and looked away. "It is."

"That's part of consulting?"

"No... that's... that's just mine."

"You're starting a business?"

The blond shrugged, though it wasn't a defensive gesture. The question didn't so much seem to bother Seiji as Shuu got the impression the former warrior just didn't have a good answer for it. "I've been considering it, on and off of late. I spend so much time investigating things, sometimes it seems like it'd be worthwhile to put some of that knowledge to use for myself." He looked to Shuu, and he nodded back. It made sense. It'd be like spending hour upon hour looking up the perfect cooking recipe, only to never actually cook it yourself. Eventually, you'd probably get the urge to. But, knowing the recipe in your head didn't mean you'd instinctively know how to cook it. Kitchen analogy aside, Seiji was no doubt aware that actually running a business would be a monumental effort. Shuu set his water glass down.

"Well... you can't anymore though, yeah? I mean, the bet isn't over _yet_, but if we say for the sake of argument that I'm gonna win... then well, you won't be able to do it anymore."

Seiji looked genuinely confused, and Shuu wondered if he'd said something weird. "Why wouldn't I have the time anymore? We have the numbers for the guys, I don't anticipate it would be too time consuming to call them and meet with them."

Now Shuu looked completely confused. "But, if I win we try to get the guys together and the armors back." The pair watched each other in mutual misunderstanding. It was Seiji who broke the silence, lifting a hand in an almost questioning manner.

"Right... but... that won't take every hour of my life from now on. It just seems to me... that even if we contact the guys and all take up the armor, I'll have plenty of time to live my life while we wait for a threat. Shuu, I have no intention of backing out if I lose... but it'd just be silly of me to put my life on hold just because I take the armor back up. I'm not going to do nothing while we wait to see if there's an attack."

Shuu stared at him, mute. This... _seemed_... like it should be one of those moments where he exploded and got mad and ranted at Seiji for not taking the task of getting the armors back seriously. There just, there hadn't been anything in Seiji's voice that had set him off. Seiji had sounded very honest and reasonable in what he'd said, and he just couldn't seem to wrap his head around getting mad at the blond. What could he get mad about? Seiji would keep his promise and try to get the armors back. Seiji had said earlier that if need be he'd perform his duty as a warrior again. So... how could Shuu honestly get mad at the other about continuing to live out his life during times of peace? He opened his mouth, ready to tell Seiji that if there was another big battle, his business would collapse if he had to leave to bear the armor. He shut it just as quickly though. _'Of course, he already knows that. I don't need to tell him.'_ Shuu averted his gaze to the table, and he could feel some sort of idea tugging at him deep in the back of his mind. It felt like a really great idea, but it wasn't one that was ready to hatch from its shell yet. He settled for nodding at Seiji, and any tension that'd formed between them just then broke. The found their way to chatting a bit more, but it was late, and both men needed to work the next morning.


	16. The Compromise

**Author's Note:**

Ok… to avoid the confusion I created last chapter, allow me to declare this as clearly as possible: This is the final chapter. I'll be quiet for now, and will of course have much to say in the end notes.

* * *

He watched as she tried to digest his words, watched the shocked expression pass over her face as the weight of what he'd just said really sunk in. Shuu felt a little nervous, truth be told, but this wasn't a decision he could hide. No matter what, Lin would be finding out, and he wasn't the sort to hide from delivering the news. He was brave, and he wouldn't shy away from announcing this personally. It was the very least he could do for her, after all the advice she'd offered him, after she'd been so willing to listen to him and help him try to sort this all out.

"What?" She asked at last, quietly stunned. "Are you… are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure Lin. I already spoke to the head chef and the manager…"

"That's not really what I mean… you… you're certain this is the right thing to do? You aren't being too impulsive here?" It was the end of his work shift, five days left until the end of the bet. He'd pulled Lin aside before she could collect her things and go, the Sous-chef looking worn out from work but now, well, frazzled by the news. She peered up at Shuu, as if trying to figure out from his eyes if this was some sort of bad joke. Shuu looked down into her eyes earnestly, his gaze steady and unwavering. She bit her lower lip and sighed, reaching up to tighten the ponytail in her hair. Her dark eyes didn't leave him, but at least she seemed to have accepted that he wasn't kidding. "This has to do with this whole affair… with that Seiji guy and all the trouble you've been into the past few months?"

"Yeah…"

"Please tell me this doesn't mean you're getting involved in something really bad?" There was a tone of dry humor in her voice, but deep down Shuu could tell she was really worried about him. In a way he did feel bad, he'd sort of started dumping his problem on her in a vague manner, never really letting her know the whole story. She couldn't be allowed to, of course, but Shuu wasn't heartless. He knew he'd made her worry about him a lot. It was touching, and he was already starting to regret that he wouldn't get to spend time with her anymore, with this new little sister of his. He wasn't intentionally trying to cut her out of his life, but with the course he had planned now… the restaurant was no longer going to be part of his daily routine. Trying to offer her a reassuring smile, he put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a tiny squeeze.

"I'm not. I'm doing something that I should have been doing all along. And it's a good thing, don't worry." He could tell from the way she didn't react that she didn't completely believe him, but she sighed and nodded her head anyway. He knew how that went… it didn't matter what you thought sometimes, you just had to go with it. His eyebrows arched for a moment in surprise when she suddenly wrapped her arms around him in a hug, Shuu feeling flustered. Awkwardly he hugged her back, though he relaxed quickly enough. She flashed him a smile, and there were of course things that he knew she probably would have liked to say to him, or ask him. Something in his eyes must have given him away though; something must have made her see that he wouldn't answer her. He couldn't. He needed to protect her, so it was best if she simply never knew.

"I'm gonna miss you," she said, and the tiniest of cracks in her voice really seemed to prove it. "You have to promise to come eat here sometimes, ok? It'll be on the house."

"Free food? Well, you don't have to twist my arm for that," his voice was light and joking, trying to lift her spirits, and she looked up at him with a false glare.

"You know, you were supposed to say you'll miss me too… before jumping at the chance for food."

He gave her a bit of a squeeze and a lopsided grin, glad that Lin seemed to be perking up a bit from the joking. "Hey, ya shoulda gone out with me when I was chasing you, this is penance!"

She hit his arm playfully and backed out of the hug. She was trying to look angry, but she was having a tough time of it with the giggles that kept escaping. "Mean! I'm glad I didn't, I never would have been able to afford someone with such a big appetite."

Shuu pretended to look hurt. "I see how you really feel," he said, but the game of play fighting was over for now since she seemed to be feeling better, and he sobered up again. "I really will miss ya too, Lin. But… I need to do this. There are some compromises you can make in life… and this ain't one of em."

Lin nodded her head. "I understand. I wish you the best of luck with… whatever you're doing. I'm just a call away if you… well… ever need some help. Just because we're saying goodbye for now, doesn't mean it will be forever."

"Thanks Lin."

The two collected their stuff, chatting away at the possibility of goodbye parties and other various purposely-happy topics. As Shuu walked Lin off to her car, he had to admit that it felt sort of good to be parting like this. Parting with the option of seeing each other again. It was a far cry better than the way he'd parted with the guys… being forbidden to see anyone. It was ironic to him, in a way, that he was barely stepping out of his old life and he was already beginning to see that there was something there he'd come to hold dear to him. A few weeks ago… this realization might have actually upset him. He might have seen it as Seiji's influence, as something in his way when it came to getting the armors back. Even though he'd end up thinking about what it really meant to be leaving the restaurant late into the night, there was no anger or agitation to go with it. Shuu had made his decision, and the regrets he had for parting with the restaurant were very small.

- - - - -

Four days until the end of the bet, and Shuu was feeling busy. No, he didn't just feel busy… he _was_ busy. There was something he was preparing for between now and the appointed date, and it was filling up his time. Filling it up so much, that when Seiji called him to hang out in the evening he turned the other down. Seiji had sounded surprised, but he also seemed to sound somewhat happy to hear that Shuu was going about his life. Shuu tried to keep his voice neutral, not wanting Seiji to know what he was up to just yet. It wasn't so much a secret as a surprise, and he wanted to make certain he could get everything finalized (or as close as he could on his own), before letting the other in on it. Seiji's voice hadn't betrayed any suspicions about anything at all, so Shuu figured that everything was ok for now. There was no reason for Seiji to really catch on, he supposed. The blond pretty much knew his feelings on the ending of the bet… and though Shuu had his own surprise in store, he doubted Seiji would consider such a thing.

Of course… managing to keep his plan a secret was one thing, but Shuu knew that once he revealed it… it was going to take quite a bit to get Seiji to really agree to it. The conditions of the bet only went so far, after all.

- - - - -

"Shuu?"

His feet stopped moving at the sound of the voice behind him, and internally he winced. He was pretty pleased with the way his body didn't flinch or anything, but all the same, that feeling of being a kid caught with his hand in the candy jar washed over him. He just needed to play it cool really. _'I'm not technically doing anything wrong either… so I've just got to chill out.'_ He turned and faced the blond, seeing Seiji walking towards him in that grey business suit of his. The blond had his briefcase with him, and was looking at his wristwatch as if perplexed about the time. Shuu knew that, typically, he should be at work and that Seiji was probably wondering why he wasn't.. But, the head chef, after working him a full shift yesterday, had been pretty quick about trying to find people to fill out his shifts. He'd only worked a half-day at the restaurant, which was perfect. It would have been tricky for Shuu to get down to the business district in order to turn in the forms and paperwork he'd gotten otherwise. The only problem with coming down here in person, he realized now, was the possibility that he'd run into Seiji.

"Hey man," he replied casually, offering a smile to Seiji and getting a polite one back. Apparently, Seiji on the clock wasn't about to start casually goofing off.

"You don't work at the restaurant today?" The blond inquired once the two were close enough to walk side by side. They were both heading away from the buildings, so for now their paths ran parallel.

"Just worked a half shift," Shuu replied, and didn't say much else on the matter. Seiji arched that brow of his, no doubt curious. Of course, Seiji would have been curious no matter what the answer Shuu was guessing. It was best to just play things close to the truth without revealing it all, just in case he got caught up in some stupid lie.

"Oh… well, what brings you down this way then?" It was a logical question, the obvious one. Shuu didn't live anywhere near the business district, and truth be told he usually would never have any reason to be down here. He let his eyes trail down to the ground, as if seeking strength from the cement he walked on. He cast a glance over at his friend, and shrugged.

"Business. Nothing you need to worry about."

There was a tiny little twitch in Seiji's visible eye, betraying that he didn't particularly like the answer. Still, his lips held a steady line, and he didn't press Shuu for any details. Granted, Kongo didn't know if that was exactly a good thing or not. Seiji could hold on to a thought or emotion for quite a while if he wished to, it seemed, and Shuu had a sneaking suspicion this wouldn't be the last time Seiji would inquire about his dealings here. However… that was fine. Shuu planned to explain… he just didn't want to explain right now. The only thing he hoped in the meantime was for Seiji to just trust him and not twist this in his head into something major… even if it was.

"Well… I need to get back to work…" It seemed the blond was just going to let it go. He gave Shuu a look that clearly stated, without words, that he was trying to trust the other man on this. Shuu wasn't a naturally deceitful person, and thus… Seiji held his tongue. He did cock his head to the side slightly, a half smile on his lips. "When did you want to get together to finalize the bet? And where? As you're apparently now a busy man… perhaps it'd be best if you proposed the time and location."

Ok, so it was a small jab, but Shuu could take it. So long as Seiji was staying in a good mood, it was fine. He shoved his hands in his pocket and thought about it. On one hand, it almost seemed like it'd be fitting to end this where it all began, right back at that gas station he'd first reunited with Seiji at. His thoughts drifted back for a moment, and he actually wondered if that old attendant was still there, probably sleeping away the nights when only the racing crew would ever really visit. He shook off the remembrance, though, focusing in on the task. No, if he wanted to really lay this all out for Seiji… he'd want to go ahead and do that someplace indoors. Somewhere quiet where they could talk completely openly about the armors and everything else.

"My place," he replied at last, and Seiji nodded. "How about dinner… I'll cook it."

One eye looked at him strangely for a moment. "The last time you cooked me dinner… I seem to recall you 'encouraging' me to quit racing."

"Well… some things are better off said on a full stomach. So… yeah. Sometime after you get off of work then?"

There was a pause as Seiji seemed to fight back the urge to probe for more information. In the end he did nod, and the two parted ways shortly after. Shuu could tell Seiji would no doubt be thinking over whatever Shuu had to spring on him. It'd seemed like they'd sort of come to an early agreement on the situation, so no doubt Seiji would be wondering just what was going on. Shuu figured it'd be ok for Seiji to brood and stress over things a bit. He'd certainly been doing enough of that thanks to the blond these past three months, so it seemed only fair.

He turned his mind away from the blond for now. He couldn't afford to spend too much time thinking about the other guy. Shuu had a lot to set up yet, and this was all unfamiliar territory for him. In truth, Seiji could have helped a lot, but that would ruin the surprise.

- - - - -

"So…" Seiji fixed his gaze upon Shuu as their meal ended and the dishes were cleaned and put away. There was nothing upset in the gaze, of course, for their meal had been very casual and friendly. All the same, there was no reason to continue to evade the official conclusion of the bet, and Seiji actually seemed somewhat anxious from curiosity. Not in a bad way, but Shuu could tell Seiji was expecting something, well, unexpected. Shuu motioned for Seiji to follow him into the sitting room, so they could both take a seat and be comfortable for this. He also had a few small envelopes sitting on a table in there, which no doubt had caught Seiji's eye. Sitting down, Shuu tried to go over how to say all this in his head again. He'd been rehearsing… a _little_… because he didn't want to do something stupid like provoke Seiji when there was no reason he could see for a fight. He just had to make sure that he didn't say things in the wrong order, or the wrong way.

Shuu took in a deep breath. "So I've put a lotta thought into this, so just hear me out on this, ok?" Seiji nodded, his eyes sharp and attentive. He raised one hand slightly, a subtle gesture indicating that Shuu should continue. "Right. So… well the easy thing to say is that… I still want the armors back. But…" He gave a small grin. "You got into my head. So there's more."

"More?" It was clear the blond hadn't quite been able to figure out where Shuu was going with this yet.

"Yep. So I quit my job at the restaurant…" He began, but Seiji was quick to interject. Apparently, Shuu's surprised Seiji enough to make him forget politeness for a moment.

"What?" Shuu quickly brought up his hands, trying to calm Seiji down even if the blond hadn't shouted out or anything. There was that look growing in Seiji's eye that Shuu knew he needed to wash out right now before Seiji's mind started calculating things that weren't accurate.

"Hold on hold on… it's probably not what you think."

"I certainly hope not."

Shuu got up, grabbing the envelopes and handing them over to Seiji before taking his seat again. "Here… I know you'll know what they are."

Seiji opened the envelopes, pulling out the forms and documents, scrutinizing them before he looked up at Shuu. His lips moved as if they might say something, but he drew them into a tight line instead. Oh Shuu could feel the intensity in the gaze that was leveled on him now, and he could feel Seiji's obvious efforts at restraint. He could tell Seiji was probably thinking down quite a few different tracks right now, trying to figure out just where Shuu's head was at. In the end, Seiji gave the forms another good read before setting them down in his lap quietly. "I think you need to explain this to me." His voice was very even and controlled. He didn't sound like he was about to start shouting. He was just trying to give Shuu a chance to explain things… the documents… in a manner that didn't seem reckless and irresponsible. Shuu was a little disappointed, he realized. He'd been hoping Seiji would jump to the right conclusion… because this next part was the tricky part.

"Look… I really really gave it some thought. About what you said, my not really giving normal life a chance. I thought about it… thought about not being needed in the restaurant, and so I realized that you were sort of right in a way. I wasn't living my life, and staying at the restaurant would never make me feel needed, ya know? Even if I waited things out until I was the head chef, it would never fill that need. I'd never be so important to the restaurant that it would matter enough. So I thought on it… and then I remembered you. How you had that form… like you were thinking about trying to go into business for yourself." He paused, giving Seiji a chance to react. The blond was obviously fitting the pieces together in his head… yet… didn't seem sold on the idea as good.

"Shuu…" Seiji seemed a bit at a loss for what he wanted to say, or for what he wanted to say first, and Shuu felt his body tense a little. _'Come on Shuu… don't mess this up.'_ The blond seemed to start to talk and stop himself a few times, before apparently deciding on one of his questions for now. "Shuu these are joint permits… these are forms for a business _partnership_…"

Shuu tried to grin. "Well… yeah…"

Seiji's mouth parted slightly, before it snapped shut and the blond shook his head. He was still keeping his calm, but Shuu knew Seiji well enough to see he wasn't taking this well. "… Shuu… I have a job. I haven't decided to quit it or anything of the sort…"

"I know I know… I was applying for a Limited Partnership for that reason… so you wouldn't have to be so involved…"

"Just as an investor? I'm not following how that makes sense…"

Shuu shifted, getting a little agitated himself but keeping it down. "Well obviously I would prefer a General Partnership… but I couldn't just make that decision for you now could I?"

"No… you couldn't… Shuu…" He trailed off. "Why didn't you consult me about this before hand? If not even just for my agreement to start a business together, then at least for some business advice. Have you really looked into this at all?" He looked at the papers again. "You haven't even officially declared and defined what this business will be." He wasn't yelling at Shuu, but his tone was rather close to a lecture.

"I've been looking into it slowly, ok? And I planned to get your advice after I told you… and I waited because I wanted this to all be a surprise."

Seiji snorted. "Well, it certainly is that." There was a snide tone in his voice, and Shuu stood up.

"Hey! Don't start pulling that shit. Ok? Listen up. I'm dead certain about doing this. If you don't want to go into business with me then fine, I'll go it alone. I already knew my family would need to help me with the funds to get this going. But I'm doing this as a compromise for you!"

Seiji seemed like he was ready to stand up, face off against Shuu. In a moment Shuu knew it'd been a bad idea to stand like this, a bad idea to bring anything physical to the confrontation, but that's how his body understood how to fight. _'This isn't supposed to be a fight.'_ He crossed his arms, which while it was a closed off and defiant gesture; it was also one that put you at a disadvantage in a physical fight. Seiji watched him, and then his body relaxed and he remain seated. The blond looked thoughtfully at Shuu, as if trying to read the other's mind. "A compromise?"

Shuu took a step back and nodded. "Ok, let me try this again. I'm sort of messing this up, right?"

Seiji gave a small chuckle. "I suppose." The blond ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry, I'm probably not making this any easier on you either."

"Nah… it's fine. Here… let me just give you the short version… trying to over explain this isn't working out for me." Sitting back down, Shuu tried to relax. "I want to get the armors back. I want to get in touch with the guys again. But I guess what you made me realize… was that this didn't mean I had to rush it all. It didn't mean that after the bet I should just drop everything and go on a mission to get them." He quirked a smile. "Ok, I know my quitting my job doesn't make sense with that, but it does to me. It's like… now that the bet will be over… and I know I'll have your official support in getting back the armors, in reuniting with Touma and Ryo and Shin… it's like a weight's been lifted. I want to contact them right away… but you are right and stuff… there's probably no danger yet, so I gotta make sure I still have something in my life in the meantime."

For that being the short answer, Shuu felt like he'd been talking a lot. He watched Seiji clasp his hands together, looking down at them. "So… an honest embracing of normal life… while gathering up the duties of the past. You're trying to reconcile your status as a warrior with your status as a normal human being."

"I… yeah, I guess. I guess what I realized was that I can't just live in either world, ya know? My heart wants to get buried in the past, and I keep trying to reject the present. I guess ya finally got me to realize, that I gotta have both."

"Got it through that thick skull of yours hmm?"

Shuu shot him a fake frown, but had to nod his head. "Yeah, guess ya did."

Seiji released a long slow sigh, leaning his head slightly to the side as he considered this. "I have to say… this really isn't anything like I thought it would end. This bet." A smile touched his lips though. "It's a happy surprise."

Shuu couldn't help it, he was up on his feet again, feeling victorious. "So you're cool with it then? You'll go in on this business with me?"

Seiji seemed to hesitate. "I don't exactly see how that fits into your plans, actually." Shuu frowned, but Seiji continued. "What do I have to do with your new business?"

"I want to make sure I keep you in my life is all."

Seiji blinked, and it was sort of funny to see the blond uncertain about how to take that comment.

"Shuu… I'm going to help you contact the guys again… get the armors back… you don't need to do this. I'm not going to back out on this…"

"No no… it's more of a reminder for me. Ya know… so that I know… even in normal life I'll still have a link to you all. Like… it's not just the armors that connect us."

Seiji shook his head at Shuu, but it was more because it seemed like the blond thought he was being silly. "I think you're being a bit paranoid here… but after the last time… I suppose it can't really be helped." He smirked at Shuu. "It's not like you'll be able to handle a business on your own anyway." He could tell Seiji wasn't decided on just what sort of partnership they'd enter into with this business, but Shuu didn't care. He had Seiji on board.

"So then… it's over… the bet's over… we're gonna talk to the guys again?"

"So it seems."

The two locked eyes for a moment, before Shuu couldn't help it. He lifted Seiji up in a sort of bear hug, laughing a bit. He felt good, really good… better than he had in years. He felt good and part of him realized that, in a way, his not giving up on 'normal life' was part of what felt good too. He was feeling more complete, really. Perhaps it was like a stone arch. Strong with all of the stones supporting each other, but take even one away and it'd fall. The various stone blocks of his life where falling into place again. He didn't feel so severed now.

"So, shall we call someone?" Seiji asked, slinking out of the hug and attempting to fix his hair. Shuu pulled out his cell phone, knowing just who he wanted to call first before he paused. Seiji arched a brow, and Shuu shook his head.

"Nope… tonight is for us man. Tonight we celebrate that we didn't kill each other over the bet!" He burst into laughter at the thought… because really looking at it… the two just might have done that. After a couple of seconds Seiji started to laugh as well. Not as loud or boisterous as Shuu, but genuine laughter. The two grabbed for their keys, intent on spending out a night out celebrating. Shuu couldn't help but take a deep breath once they were out in the cool night air, stretching his arms out wide. His eyes rested up on the stars, and Shuu didn't think he'd stop smiling at all tonight. He was getting his new beginning… his reunion to the past… he was getting what felt like his real true life. He looked down, saw Seiji patiently waiting for him, like that little beacon of light that'd dragged him on this three month adventure from the start.

As he started down towards his car, even though it was on a much smaller scale… he had to admit… this victory seemed sweet as the defeat of Arago.

* * *

**End Notes:**

So… that's it for 'Into My Life'. It feels… weird… to end it! But good too, haha. My own feelings on how it turned out aside, I guess I might as well go ahead and say this:

There will be a sequel.

I've already got things rolling in my head, though nothing typed down yet. Things that WILL be in the sequel:

Romance – specifically, the sequel will take Shuu and Seiji to the next step. I know a lot of people were hoping they would 'get together' in this fic, and I am sorry to disappoint you that it didn't happen. It will happen next fic. For any readers of 'Into My Life' that actually really dislike the idea of the two becoming a pair, I'm sorry. I understand it's not everyone's sort of thing. However, it has been very much requested, and so it shall be.

The Armors – the sequel will, primarily, be a drama/mystery sort of story, but you will see the armors worn once again. The story is not intended to be action fight heavy, but there will be blood.

The Mashō – Can't say much without spoiling things, but they shall be seen.

Of course… there is more. Hopefully anyone who enjoyed this story will look forward to the sequel (that will come, of course, probably months from now). Thanks a million for reading! I only made it with your support. Silly as that sounds.

-Ninth


End file.
